


Concrete Cowboys

by Uzumaki_Rebellion



Category: Black Panther (2018), Black Panther AU - Fandom
Genre: Alpha Erik Killmonger, Black Cowboys, Black Cowgirls, Black Panther Alternative Universe, Erik Killmonger Has Feelings, Erik Killmonger Has Issues, Erik Killmonger Lives, F/M, Killmonger AU, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Romance, Rough Sex, Smitten Erik Killmonger, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:20:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 119,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27653306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uzumaki_Rebellion/pseuds/Uzumaki_Rebellion
Summary: The Stevens family of Mariscal, Texas are a Black Cowboy dynasty. The 3,000 acres of prime ranch real estate they own came from the legacy of their tri-cultural past: African enslavement. Seminole Wars. Mexican revolutions.Four cousins must deal with land corruption, unbridled lust and the pursuit of unbothered Blackness.Love won't come easy for Erik, Monroe, Biandro, and Caddo as they live the Yeehaw Agenda in contemporary Texas.Giddyup y'all.
Comments: 29
Kudos: 29





	1. Pony

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Black Cowboy Alternative Universe. Erik "Killmonger" Stevens has that same energy though. Enjoy!

I'm just a bachelor  
I'm looking for a partner  
Someone who knows how to ride  
Without even falling off  
Gotta be compatible  
Takes me to my limits  
Girl when I break you off  
I promise that you won't want to get off

If you're horny lets do it, ride it, my pony  
My saddle's waiting, come and jump on it  
If you're horny lets do it, ride it, my pony  
My saddle's waiting, come and jump on it

Ginuwine – "Pony"

It was a habit he had since he was a child.

Something was always in his mouth.

Lollipops.

A piece of hay from his grandparent's ranch.

Toothpicks.

Licorice sticks.

That's what he had in his mouth resting between his left cheek and molars as he worked the mechanical bull at the annual Mariscal Texas Fair. A five-inch brown licorice stick fresh from the farmer's market. Erik's grandmother, Nana Rae Stevens, always told him that his oral fixation was a sign of greediness for life. Wanting to suck the juice and marrow out of it. Staring at the group of four fine ass Black women lined up to take a ride on the bull had him thinking of sucking on other things.

Like the titties of the short thick redbone with the matching skin-tight orange athletic leggings leaned up against a stack of fresh hay. Several stacks created a barrier from the mechanical bull and the red safety air mattress surrounding the entire enclosure.

Redbone flipped her long black twists and turned to speak to her girlfriend standing next to her who was eating elote, grilled Mexican corn on a stick dipped in mayo, cotija cheese, and dusted with fresh chile powder. The aroma hit his nose along with the scent of BBQ, sugary pink cotton candy, and maple caramel covered apples floating around. He bit down hard on the licorice stick.

"Goddamn," he muttered under his breath when he saw her full backside.

So much cake.

"Nigga I feel ya."

Erik's cousin Caddo sat next to the controller watching the same woman. His gaze was just as lustful as Erik, and they both hissed when they saw that ass jiggle while she tapped her foot in time to the music they were playing.

Two large speakers on stands blared R & B hits along with some old-time zydeco beats that kept fair-goers entertained and shaking their hips. The hips on Miss Redbone was making Erik horny and restless. In fact, all the women had him chomping at the bit.

"Man…"

"You ain't even gotta tell me, E. I see it, I see it."

"…I just wanna smack it. One time. Just tag that ass and have it bounce in my hands…"

"She short and thick too, so you already know…"

"…deep-dish pussy!" Erik huffed.

Caddo cracked up, his perfect white teeth and warm dark hickory brown skin made him a favorite attraction at the mechanical bull ride every year. Erik was right there with him as a chick magnet with his toothy smile and playful dimples. His skin had become a coppery brown from being in the sun all day and he was glad the early evening was breezing in to cool down the sweltering heat even if just by two degrees. His gray t-shirt was sticking to his back and he had to keep tugging on it to keep it away from his skin. Luckily, he had the travel trailer next to the bull ride and he could change his clothes throughout the day. Working at the fair required him to stay at the fairgrounds overnight to keep an eye on all their equipment. There was only a week left for the fair to be running, and then he'd have to hitch his orange Chevy truck to it and haul it back to the family ranch.

He missed being at home in his own bed and listening to the horses go a little buck wild in the night outside. He had Big Man with him, his midnight black quarter horse, hitched to a wooden post in front of the attraction with their cousin Monroe wolf-calling folks to come ride the bull with a portable speaker system and a mic. Little kids and a lot of women would stroke Big Man's mane, and the horse's gentle disposition made him fully safe to be near so many people. The music didn't bother him since he was facing away from the speakers.

Tall, sable-skinned handsome, and muscular with a wicked smile, Monroe ogled the fine bevy of women as he tried to finesse a number or two. They all grinned for him and one seemed smitten, and Monroe tilted his head up and winked at Erik.

"This boy…I tell ya. Hustler," Caddo quipped.

"Shawty and her crew are top-notch."

"Facts."

"That tall chocolate one…my God," Erik said watching the long-legged filly slide her fingers on her slender hip as she peeked at her cell phone."

"She's a Texas Hold'Em," Caddo sneered.

"I got something she can hold," Erik said waving his hand at their other cousin Biandro who helped a new white male rider climb onto the mechanical bull.

"Ready?" Erik called out.

Biandro tugged on his goatee and his soft brown hound-dog eyes glanced over at the line of people still waiting for their turn to ride. Biandro gave a thumbs-up signal and stepped away from the ride. As he backed up, Erik saw one of the Black women staring at his cousin's backside. The man was all muscle too and they were heavily defined in the thighs of his jeans.

Erik focused on the control panel that had twenty pre-set motions and gave the lanky white rider the novice level. As the man began kicking the side of the bull machine and throwing his hand back, Erik upped the ante and switched the pre-set to a more intermediate ride. When riders were young kids or older people, Erik would switch to manual controls so he could dictate the movement himself.

"Don't forget to come visit the Texas Longhorn Saloon where you can experience great music, food, and the best mechanical bull-riding this side of the Mesquite River. Be sure to ask for Monroe Stevens and I'll show you a real good time!"

Monroe was selling the hell out of the Saloon as the carnival barker giving out information that drew more lookie-loos who flocked over to watch the white rider fall off the bull with his ass crack showing as he stumbled to his feet.

Erik shut down the ride as Biandro helped the man off of the red mat.

"Next!" Biandro shouted.

In the distance, they could hear live music starting from the bandstand and many of the people who had been waiting in line drifted over to see the music headliners. The Black women they were peeping meandered over.

"We get a little break," Caddo said.

Erik turned down the music from their speakers and Monroe put up a small sign that let fair-goers know they would be back operating in thirty minutes.

"I'ma take Big Man around," Erik said.

"I'll be here," Caddo said heading for the trailer to use the restroom.

Erik walked around the haystacks and untied his horse. Reaching into a feed bag hanging near the post, he pulled out an apple and fed it to Big Man. His tongue hit the roof of his mouth as he made noise to let Big Man know they were heading out. He rubbed under the horse's chin groove and muzzle, then hooked his right boot into the stirrup and swung his leg over onto the saddle.

Grabbing the horn on his saddle, he glanced over at Monroe.

"When we start back up, I'll shorten the ride times. A lot of people wanna get down."

"Told you we should've brought two bulls out here," Biandro quipped.

He wiped down the mechanical bull seat with disinfectant. He was a clean freak and needed to wipe everything every hour.

Erik sucked his teeth and Big Man started walking. The horse took himself to the back of the trailer where he took a big dump onto loose hay.

"Good boy," Erik cooed.

Big Man's lips curled around his bit and Erik took up the reins and led the horse out onto the fair's walkway. He tugged on the black bandanna around his neck and kept his eye out for little kids who sometimes ran up to his horse with excitement.

He noticed a few people taking pictures of him and he waved his hand or gave a peace sign as shots were taken of him.

"Looking good!"

Margie who ran the BBQ smoke pit waved to him as she lifted the smoker near her food truck. Her salt and pepper hair was tucked under a black hairnet and her entire family ran a smooth operation that was two lines deep with customers.

"Got some brisket here for ya!" she called out.

"I'll pick some up on the way back," he said giving her a dimpled grin.

"You do that, baby! I'll put in some hotlinks with onions and peppers too. Tell your Nana to come see me next week. We have some catching up to do!"

"I'll let her know."

"I thought she was going to be out here today."

"She might be around here somewhere. You know how she do."

"Uh, huh. See ya, boo-boo!"

He waved at her and tried to ignore the surly looks coming from her granddaughter who stood inside the food truck taking orders. Those dark eyes threw daggers at him and he knew that she hadn't gotten over him messing with her bestie and not her. He gave her a friendly head nod to keep the peace, but she shot him the middle finger with a plastic-gloved hand.

"Be that way, then girl," he muttered.

Turning his head, he took in the enormous grounds filled with so many people. Whites, Blacks, Mexicans, Natives, old young, rich, and not so rich. The fair season was a huge success that year, and the Stevens family was a huge part of that. From the bull riding machine to the Zydeco Party Room where his cousin Selena gave stepping and line dance lessons, to running the talent line up for all of the entertainment on the bandstand.

"Easy boy," Erik said as Big Man encountered a small electric golf cart. The driver wasn't paying attention and strayed into Erik's line of sight making his horse skittish. He soothed the horse with a pet on its withers, scratching between Big Man's shoulder blades.

"Somebody needs a bath," Erik teased.

Big Man shook his head, clearly understanding the word and not liking the sound of it.

"Hush nigga. If you want to stay at Nana's place you better get yo ass washed."

Erik's eyes drifted to his right where he caught sight of the pretty big fine he was lusting after earlier. He pulled on the reins once giving Big Man the signal to slow down. The horse clomped his front hooves twice and gave a loud whinny that made the woman turn around much to Erik's disappointment. He enjoyed watching those big hips roll as she sauntered toward the Grandstand.

"Big Man doesn't bite," Erik said.

The woman smiled.

"Is that his name?" she said tossing a few long twists back over her shoulder.

"Yeah."

Erik tapped the middle of his horse's shoulder again.

"Big Man, this is….?"

He held his right hand toward her. She smiled.

"Arletta."

"Arletta. He's pleased to meet you. I'm Erik."

"Hey, Erik."

"On your way to the show?"

"Yeah."

"Where did your friends go?"

"They're already over there. I just went and got some water."

Arletta held up a bottled water toward him.

"Gotta stay hydrated."

"Yep."

"Y'all coming back to ride the bull?"

"Maybe."

"Come back through. I run the controls."

"You make the bull throw people off?"

He grinned. Her smile grew wider.

"If you come ride it, I wouldn't throw you off."

Her eyes turned coy.

"Promise. Scout's honor."

He kissed his index and middle finger and held them up in the air showing her his sincerity. She started walking again and he followed alongside her.

"You comin' through?"

"I said maybe."

"I'll be gentle."

She warmed up to his flirtations and he bit his bottom lip going in for the kill. When they were close to the bandstand he stopped. There were too many people for him to maneuver Big Man through with the loud music and unpredictable distractions.

"Come get at me," he called to her.

She walked back over to him and stood in front of Big Man.

"You can touch him," he said.

She petted Big Man's muzzle.

"So soft," she purred.

Her eyes flicked back up to his.

"I'ma be looking out for you," he said.

He sucked his teeth again and turned Big Man back toward the mechanical bull.

###

Arletta came back.

Her friends gassed her up as she stepped into the pit and Biandro helped her onto the saddle. She gripped the saddle horn for dear life and her eyes were glued to his. She looked terrified. Although it was just a mechanical bull, the brand and size they used looked like a real animal with a tawny hide, a huge face, and horns.

"I got you!" he called out.

He stuck his licorice stick back in his mouth as Caddo stood next to him. Even Monroe stopped hawking riders to stand near them just to watch. There were only grown Black folks sipping ice-cold beer enjoying the sight. Especially the men. It was like watching a pack of wolves gather around to bay at the moon. The music Monroe played from his blue tooth through the speakers was a bass-heavy mix that had folks head bobbin'.

Biandro gave a thumbs up and stepped over to Caddo leaning against a big haystack.

Erik took over manual controls pushing a few buttons and handling a lever. He eased Arletta into some easy turns and she grew less rigid. Monroe slipped his cell out and switched up the music.

"You wrong for that!" Caddo snickered slapping their cousin on the arm.

The crowd cheered as Ginuwines's "Pony" played, the Black go-to anthem for bull riding.

Erik made the bull jump under Arletta's thighs, and when it swung around, her backside and titties just bounced and every man and queer person there groaned in a collective prayer of gratitude. It didn't help that Arletta squealed and leaned forward trying to hold on. She only accentuated her bountiful gifts with all the sexy ass noises she was making even though she wasn't really trying to. Erik made her fat ass cheeks clap.

"E, nigga, whatchu doing cuz?" Monroe yelped.

"This shit ain't supposed to be x-rated dude," Biandro said trying to suppress a smile on his full lips. He was the most conservative of the four of them.

"He knows what he's doing!" A tall brotha shouted from the onlookers.

"Yes, Lawd!" Someone else shouted drawing appreciative laughter.

Arletta's friends cackled and filmed her as they shook their hips and popped their fingers to the music. Erik switched up the rotation and made the bull shake back and forth causing Arletta's heavy breasts to put on a show.

"Yo cuz, cool it now, we don't wanna be disrespectful," Biandro said.

Erik didn't stop because Arletta was arching her back trying to show off for her friends, tooting her ass out more. He tricked her then by swinging the ride around and she screamed clutching onto the neck of the bull before peals of laughter erupted from her throat.

"Shake it, Arletta!" her tall friend shouted.

"Okay, now she's being extra," Monroe moaned grabbing onto his crotch.

Her backside was facing them and she had her head looking back over her shoulder toward Erik. He made the bull move up and down and that big girl made her cheeks bounce on her own, purposely twerking them for Erik's pleasure.

"Aye gurrllll, do that Sis!" Her friends cat-called.

Erik licked his upper lip.

"Shake them titties, girl," he whispered.

"She too much. Betcha she turned on as fuck," Biandro said.

"Saddle probably all sticky wet," Caddo said.

Monroe slapped him on the chest. And they both howled.

Arletta was getting a little big-headed with all the attention she was getting, arching her back more like she owned the bull. Erik tapped two buttons and Arletta squeaked and gripped the neck of the bull as she started to slide off.

"That's cold, E!" Monroe said shoving a fist up to his mouth.

Arletta tried to claw her way back to the center of the seat but she was too far into the slide to save herself. Her voluptuous form shimmied and shook all the way down a pitiful downfall until she was a sensuous hysterically laughing heap. Erik stopped the ride and shoved Biandro back as he went to go help Arletta up himself. She reached up for his outstretched hand and he lifted her up. She stood just to his neck as he towered over her.

"Told ya I was gentle."

She playfully punched his bicep.

"You did good up there."

Biandro swooped in behind him to help the next guest approach the bull as Erik chaperoned Arletta back to her friends.

"Where are you going now?" he asked.

Her friends sauntered away from them checking their phones as the wolves circled waiting for Erik to let Arletta go about her business so they could pounce next.

"Just hanging out. The concert is over so we'll just chill."

"Hang out here with me."

"And do what?"

"Hang out. Talk."

"You're running the ride."

"My cousin is taking over now. Just chill out here, watch the riders. I can give you some pointers so you can ride again."

Her eyes darted over to her friends. The gorgeous dark-skinned beauty had her phone up to her face but she gave Arletta a head tilt and a smirk.

"We're just going to walk around and eat some more. We can swing back over here later," she said encouraging Arletta to stay.

Erik gave her a head nod. Good looking out.

"Alright," she said.

She followed Erik around the outside of the haystacks to the area where the controller was along with some chairs.

"This is Arletta," Erik said.

Caddo and Monroe shook her hand.

"That's Caddo, Monroe, and Biandro is the one over there."

"Hey," she said. Her Mariscal twang came out then.

Arletta sat next to him on the chairs and they had a good view of the action. She smelled like warm sweet honeysuckle. She wiggled on the chair a bit.

"Uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Very."

He reached out for her hand and lifted her up, bringing her over to his lap. He tried not to groan when she dropped that good weight on his thigh and he felt all that full round softness.

"You so soft, girl," he whispered in her ear.

She threw an arm around his shoulder for balance and he nuzzled near her face.

"Smelling like a flower and shit."

She giggled.

They watched riders fall and listened to music and talked. She started rubbing his back and shoulder while he sucked on his licorice stick. He held his arm around her waist and felt her nice round stomach. He leaned his head against her shoulder and his hand took a chance and dropped down to her backside where he held her hip. She didn't stop him, just leaned in closer and let his fingers make small circles on her side until he let his hand drift to her left butt cheek. She sighed and he squeezed it, his whole hand filled with so much ass. He lifted his face up and she looked down at him. He pulled the licorice stick out of his mouth. Her lips brushed against his and he went for it, giving her a full kiss with his whole mouth. She kissed him back.

"This lucky nigga," Caddo grumbled as he manned the controls.

Arletta slipped her tongue in his mouth and they went at it for a while until Erik felt his dick plump up in his jeans.

"You making me hard, girl," he breathed into her ear.

"You want to throw me off then, Cowboy?"

Her eyes sparkled and her scent made him feel heady.

"Nah. Tryna get you on it."

Her lips quirked and he kissed her again.

The only thought he had in his head was to figure out a way to get one of his cousins to look after Big Man as he tried to seduce Arletta into the trailer right next to them.


	2. Horses in the STable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and Arletta get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Frontier Friday!

"I told her give me something good I might come back  
I snap my fingers they be on me just like that  
They know the way that I'm living ain't right  
You just another girl and this is just another night

Horses in the stable, horses in the stable  
That I can ride, oooh anytime  
Horses in the stable, horses in the stable  
That I can ride, oooh anytime"

Ty Dolla $ign—"Horses in the Stable"

"So this isn't an RV?"

Arletta stared at the entrance to the horse trailer as Erik stood beside her.

"It's a combination, RV, transportation, and housing for my horses. Want a tour?"

"Yeah."

Arletta's eyes were shiny and her lips still swollen from him kissing her behind the mechanical bull ride. His hands were itching to palm her round backside and to also touch her breasts. He had stroked an eager finger across her right nipple earlier and that grape-sized treat pebbled up and made his balls throb.

He threaded his fingers with hers and pulled her around to the side of the trailer and slid open the horse door and pulled down the horse ramp with the rubbery grip to protect his equines from slipping. His trailer was a reverse load and it made it easier for Big Man to back into the trailer with ease and comfort. Inside were several stalls with hay bags strung around them for his greedy four-legged boys who were constant eaters. Erik's boots scraped across the dark gray rumber flooring.

"I thought there'd be hay or something on the ground," she said tapping her cute red sandals on the rubber.

"This is made of used tires and it's easier to clean when they urinate. Hay and lumber rot with it and this stuff reduces noise and vibration on the road."

Arletta peeked over the front stall and saw all the crap he stored there: water buckets. Hay bags. Alpha Pro pellets for Big Man's travel bedding. Suitcases. Horse grain bags filled with ground corn oats, and barley.

Her eyes took in the space and then he led her outside once more to the back of the trailer and opened up the latch to show her his tack room.

"So much stuff!" she said.

"Horse boots on my saddle rack, pads…my brushes and sprays. My saddles, bridles…"

Arletta took it all in.

"How many horses fit on here?"

"Three. I usually travel with two most times. Trail rides. Rodeo invitationals. If my whole family travels then we take three horse trailers along."

"This is a lot of equipment. Are you a professional or something?"

"Something like that," he said closing the tack room.

"Very organized. I'm impressed."

"Ready to see inside?"

Arletta followed him to the home away from home entrance and her mouth fell open.

"I was not expecting this! I've been in RV's before…this is a whole house!" she squealed.

"I had it custom made to my specifications."

Erik showed her his living area with a full-sized brown leather couch and a table and chair combination across from it that could be folded into a sleeping area for two people. A flat-screen TV and computer desk that doubled as cabinets and more storage space was next to the couch. His state-of-the-art kitchen had every gadget and appliance to cook full meals. Fridge. Large freezer. Pots and pans and fancy dishes and silverware. She was most impressed with his bathroom area with the full-sized shower with a clear glass door, along with a regular-sized toilet and sink with cupboards and a nice-sized closet to store his clothes. They both washed their hands in his sink before he showed her more storage spaces around the bathroom. She peeked her head in the closet to see his jeans, slacks, button-down shirts, belts, and hand-made one of a kind cowboy boots. She noticed two belts with large oval gold and silver rodeo champion buckles on them. She dragged her finger along the buckles.

"Bullriding?"

"Steer roping and bareback riding. Caddo is the bull rider."

"Champion, huh?'

"Yep."

"Sexy," she whispered, her index finger twirling around the etching of a cowboy on a bucking horse.

"I know how to ride," he said.

Her lips pressed together and her eyes drifted past his face.

"Where do you sleep?" she asked.

Her eyes were bright like new copper pennies and his eyes drifted down her body to admire the lush curves that he wanted to put on his memory foam bed.

"Over there," he said.

Arletta followed him back toward the entrance where three steps led up to his sleeping quarters. A queen-sized mattress sat on a wide beige carpeted floor. Drawn black window-shades sat on either side of the space with another flat screen embedded in the wall that separated the room from the living room area. There was no headboard, but a big oval mirror decorated the wall it rested against.

Erik dived onto the comfortable bed. He pulled off his boots and socks. He patted the thick blue blanket and Arletta climbed onto the softness next to him.

"This is so plush," she whispered.

He turned on the overhead light to allow her to see more.

"Your truck can pull all of this?"

"I drive a Chevy Trail Boss. It can handle all this weight. C'mere…"

Erik held his hand out to Arletta and she played shy by scooting back from him and leaning on her elbow.

"You c'mere, boy," she purred.

The fingers of her left hand twirled a few twists in her hair.

Erik scooted closer and ran his right hand along her hip. He reached behind her backside and slapped it hard. Arletta sucked in a breath as her ass kept jiggling like a bowl of fresh jello.

"Fuck…" he groaned.

He rubbed her rump and squeezed it, letting his strong thick fingers grab as much as he could. Arletta licked her lips and dropped a pink manicured finger on his chest. She lifted his shirt up to look at his chest. She stroked the large branding on his left pec.

"Is that a horseshoe tattoo?"

Her fingers skipped across the smooth scarring shaped in the Greek Omega letter.

"Fraternity. Omega Psi Phi."

"A Q? Okay," she said.

Erik raised his thumb and fingers above his head and stuck out his long tongue to the side in the signature Omega hand sign.

"I hear you have a reputation," she said.

"Good I hope," he said.

His hand couldn't stop squeezing and rubbing her butt. He gripped the cleft of her left ass cheek and pulled it so that it separated from the other cheek. Erik's eyes became hooded then.

"My friend was telling me about you."

"When?"

"At the concert. She warned me about you."

"I'm a good boy."

He leaned forward and kissed the side of her neck. She leaned back to allow him more access and he placed his full mouth on her and sucked gently. Her sighs made his dick thicken in his jeans.

"Nuh, uh. You're a bad boy. A heartbreaker. And some other stuff….ooohhhh…."

Her head fell back on his pillow as his hand skimmed up her belly and cupped a heavy breast.

"What other stuff, girl?"

Her eyes fell onto the bulge of his crotch.

"Big Man ain't the only horse you got," she whimpered.

He gave her a big smile.

"Is that why you came back?"

Her lips curled into a sly grin.

"I've always been a curious girl. And I like big boys…a lot."

"Is that right?"

"Mmmhmmm."

"I like big girls."

"Then you're going to like what I got, boy."

Arletta sat up and pulled her orange top off. Unfastening her bra from the back, when she dropped it on the bed, her melon-sized tits fell and spread and he groaned so loud. Slipping her fingers in the elastic of her leggings, she shimmied out of panties and pants. Lying back on the bed, she let her big thighs fall open.

Erik didn't hesitate to pull off his shirt.

He straddled her thighs and let her see his large dick print poking out toward her. Pushing her breasts together, he made them smack hard against each other. The weight made his erection grow.

"You been listening to other women talk about my dick?"

She nodded.

He stood above her and took his time taking off his jeans and briefs. Arletta's eyes grew big when she saw him fist his dick above her. He moved back to straddling her body.

"Does it match my reputation?" he asked.

Arletta lifted her head and wrapped her lips around the wide dark brown head and slurped making Erik grab her hair as he gasped in surprise. Her suction was exquisite. Her warm tongue ran along the sides of his length and when she opened her mouth wider to take him in again, he thrust a little deeper down her throat. The loud gwak-gwak sound of her head game made him groan louder.

"Take some more in," he encouraged.

She gagged and released the first four inches of his tip and strings of saliva spilled from her lips and dropped onto her breasts.

"You got five more inches to take down, baby. Them first four were easy," he teased.

Sandwiching his erection between her breasts. He fucked her titties while knocking her head back against the mirror. He reached down and lifted the pillow her head rested on higher to cushion her. Mashing those big titties again, he rutted and spilled a generous amount of pre-cum onto her neck.

Arletta started squirming, her lips parted and gentle pants fell out. He could feel her legs squirming down below. He moved down her body and pushed her thighs back so he could look at her pussy.

"Damn…" he hissed.

There was nothing prettier or tastier looking than a fat wet mound. Especially on a big girl. Arletta's pussy was swollen up big and juicy. There was a lush roll along her belly and her belly button was an innie, a deep hollow innie. Her pussy lips glistened. Even the light pubic hairs were shiny with her juices. The inner lips of her folds were open wide and ready for his dick. He used his index finger to trace around the soft sticky lips and she shuddered.

"Erik," she sighed.

Her clit was a cute tiny little pearl with the hood barely pulled back. He pressed his thumb into it gently and moved down to her face where he kissed her, using his tongue to explore her sweet mouth.

"Carrying this fat pussy around like this," he whispered into her lips before slapping her vulva startling her.

She wiggled her hips as his hand fondled her wet pussy casually spreading her natural lubrication all along her folds. He dipped two fingers into her opening.

"You gon' lemme take care of you?"

"Yesss…."

She lifted onto her elbows and her breasts caught his eye. His fingers delved a little deeper inside her sopping slit. He grabbed his dick by the base and smacked it hard in his other hand. He needed her to understand what was about to happen to her walls. He was ready to do damage. The loud hard smacks made her pussy jump, the contractions her saw forcing a harsh groan to escape his thick lips.

"You know what I want. Turn over, girl."

Arletta rolled onto her side and lifted back on her knees so that her big ass was presented to him. His fingers slid under the other pillow and pulled out a gold-foiled condom wrapper. He tore it open carefully.

"You betta not tell nobody our business, girl. Women talk too damn much."

Her eyes watched him in the oval mirror as he rolled the condom down nice and snug. He spanked her ass then lined his bulbous tip against her opening that throbbed the moment his dick touched it. This bitch was ready-ready.

"Tell Daddy whatchu want him to do."

He felt his eyes get watery already just looking at her fat cheeks. His slaps had left big red handprints on her ass. He was going to make those cheeks clap until kingdom come, and if her pussy was as good as it looked, she just might become his summer fling. New good pussy was on his agenda and he prayed this woman wasn't just false advertisement. All that showing off on the mechanical bull she did had him primed for some serious fucking.

Arletta arched her back and the head of his dick put pressure on her entrance.

He slapped both cheeks making a loud noise that forced a yelp from her and she pushed back on him.

"Answer me. Whatchu want me to do?"

"Fuck me…fuck me Daddy—"

Erik rocked his hips forward and drove in deep.

"Ohhhh!" she shouted.

Arletta pulled off of him and her head fell forward. He could see her eyes squeeze shut with shock. Her right hand slammed against the thick mirror to hold herself up.

"I know you not running already!"

He reached down and grabbed her arms, pulling them back. It forced her torso up and her big heavy titties knocked against each other. He plunged back into her tight depths and she cried out.

"Erik!" she shrieked.

"Stretching you out, bitch. Get used to it!"

Pumping into her with deep long strokes, her plump cheeks clapped back at him as he watched her titties move with sensual abandon. She was snug around his erection, but he held her arms like horse reins and rode her fat ass with abandon. Her eyes rolled back slightly, but then they became glued to his in the mirror.

His grunts made her lips lax and she jerked forward just riding the tip. She rotated her hips in a circle and that shit felt real good, but he needed to be balls deep. His nuts needed to feel that wide ass slapping on it hard.

"Go all the way down!" he barked.

She dropped back a few more inches, but she didn't sit on it the way he wanted. He jerked on her arms and pulled back forcing his girth in deeper. She whined.

"You can take this. Pussy dripping…sit on Daddy's dick."

She slipped down further but skedaddled off of his dick pulling her arms from his hands. Arletta jammed both of her hands against the mirror as her titties swung from the movement.

"It's too much!"

"No it ain't!"

He smirked at her as he watched her eyes grow sly and surly. Her lips pursed and she pouted. She was trying to be a brat to get a rise out of him. He didn't have time to play games. He wanted to fuck the shit out of her and watch them titties bounce while he did it. Her pussy felt like quicksand to a nigga and he was grateful to have a condom on because she truly would make his pull-out game weak as fuck. He wasn't going to end up like his cousin Biandro and fuck a bad bitch raw at a fair and end up with a kid by accident because the pussy game was strong.

Erik bent down and kissed Arletta's damp back.

"C'mon, girl. You can handle this big dick. You rode a bull, you can ride me just as good."

He poked at her opening. Her pussy was still jumping.

"Your pussy needs it," he said inserting gentle fingers in to coax her. His gentle thrusts made her bite her lips.

"Look how you got my dick, baby. That's all your fault for being so fine. Shaking all this ass in front of me. You know what you were doing out there. This your dick girl. Come ride it. Let Daddy have some fun with it."

He took both of his hands and played with her ass cheeks. Lifted them. Spread them wide open so he could look at her puffy pussy lips. She sat back on her haunches and Erik penetrated her again giving short thrusts until he had her panting again. He sank down to the root and held her arms back.

"You control this. This all you, girl. Dassit. Take that dick…take that dick…being such a good girl for my dick. Creamy…"

He couldn't help himself. Erik tried his best to be a gentleman with her pussy, but hearing the noise her walls made with him inside of her, seeing those beautiful breasts bounce and jiggle and slap together as they hung down for him to see in his mirror…well…some women just weren't lucky, and Arletta happened to be one of them. And something Erik never had control of was his fucking when he had a woman that turned him on the way Arletta had him turned out with her goldmine. Once upon a time ago Erik Stevens had won a championship in a rodeo bare back riding, but now he was going for a different reward slanging his horse dick inside this squelching greatness. This honey was deep, soft, and wet.

"Control that dick…dassit…all you Arletta…all the way down…yeah…yeah….all the way down to my balls baby. Look at you taking Daddy's big dick—"

"It's deep…"

"I know…you got it though. Catch this dick, baby…there you go. See? You got this…you got this…mmmhmmm, you giving Daddy a creamy ride…"

He slammed into her and Arletta's head fell onto the pillow as she shouted her pleasure, shocked at the way he was turning her out. He lifted off of one knee to press a foot onto the bed for balance and he slang dick into her from a new angle, his big balls smashing into her cheeks. She threw that ass back despite all her thrashing and crying that she couldn't take anymore.

"Yo man, there's some dude out here looking for Arletta!"

Caddo's loud voice didn't stop Erik from handling his business. He kept fucking Arletta.

Caddo took a step onto the mini-stairs that led to Erik's bedroom. His cousin's eyes admired the work Erik was putting in to make his big fine whimper into the pillow, her fat ass clapping loud and making Caddo smile.

"Nigga you working her out…damn."

Erik looked back over at Caddo.

"Man, get the fuck outta here. I'm busy!"

"I hear ya, but this rowdy nigga is out here mean mugging. One of her friends told him she was here."

Erik pressed himself into Arletta's back and rested his mouth near her ear.

"You got a man?"

"An ex. Fuck him," she huffed pushing her pussy back onto his dick.

"He's not by himself," Caddo warned.

His cousin turned back to the door.

"When you done, y'all might wanna chill in here until later. Send her out by herself, E."

Erik started to thrust again but then his ear caught something.

Arguing outside.

Monroe's calm voice seemed to settle the problem.

"Be right back," Caddo said leaving the trailer.

Erik ran his hands along Arletta's waist and gripped her hips. He pumped into her slowly.

"When did y'all break up?"

Arletta sat back and bounced on his dick making him bite his lower lip. She lifted up her titties and fondled them for him. She lowered her head and popped a nipple into her mouth teasing him with her tongue twirling.

He slapped her ass.

"When?"

"Today."

"Today?"

"Before I came back over here with my friends to ride the bull. I had already broken up with him in my mind months ago, and he was okay to have around until…."

"Until what?"

"Until you."

Erik kept moving in and out of her slit.

"So you knew you were coming back to fuck me?"

"Try to at least. You came on like you was with it, and I wanted to the moment I saw you. And then my girl Farrah said you had good dick… real good dick….and Jesus, she wasn't lying…"

Erik pounded into her fast and she dropped her breasts. He reached out and grabbed her by the elbows and held her in place.

"Your man is outside and you in here bouncing on my dick. Bad girl."

"Punish me then, Daddy. I wanna cum on your dick. Just your dick."

"Fuck!"

He plowed into her. Rode her big beautiful ass into the literal sunset until he reached around and tugged on her clit like he was plucking a berry. She broke apart on his dick. Deep hard clenches pulled on his length and her loud cries made him nut hard into the condom.

"Pussy so good! Oh shiittttt!" he roared.

His balls throbbed for what felt like forever and his back was tight until Arletta flopped onto his bed. He gripped the base of his dick and carefully pulled off the condom. He tied and tossed it in the tiny wastebasket next to his bed and slapped Arletta's ass hard.

"Ow!" she yelped.

"You're messy!" he accused.

"How am I messy? I made up my mind, dumped Trevor—"

"That his name?"

"Yeah. Old news."

"So I'm the latest edition?"

"I hope so," she whispered.

Arletta cozied over to him and placed her head on his chest. Her fingers brushed against his slowly deflating dick and then she dropped her head down and licked away all traces of semen. When she finished, Erik got dressed.

He stared at her fine ass sprawled out on his cozy bed. Her face was flush and her skin had a light sheen of sweat all over it even as it glowed from his loving. He had more to give her. Much more.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Making sure the coast is clear—"

"I don't want to leave yet," she pouted.

He pinched her ripe light brown nipple.

Reaching under his bed, Erik pulled out a cold black M1911 handgun.

Arletta barely blinked when she saw the weapon. Her eyes seemed to shine brighter.

"You ain't going nowhere, beautiful. But I know someone who is."


	3. Tennessee Whiskey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and his cousins help out his favorite female cousin. Trouble brews after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to Frontier Friday!  
> You may want to check out my Tumblr page or Wattpad page because I posted a video to go with part of the story to show what contemporary stepping looks like.  
> Enjoy!

"Used to spend my nights out in a barroom  
Liquor was the only love I've known  
But you rescued me from reachin' for the bottom  
And brought me back from being too far gone

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey  
You're as sweet as strawberry wine  
You're as warm as a glass of brandy  
And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time"

DeAndre Nico – "Tennessee Whiskey"

The one thing the Mariscal Texas Fair was sure to have every year: An abundance of beer drinking, parking lot brown liquor parties, and grown ass men ready to fight over all the fine women walking around. The combination of the two always got Erik in trouble and he promised his Nana Rae that he would be good for once this year.

But he said that every year.

Erik tucked his gun in front of his jeans and covered it with his t-shirt. Stepping out from the horse trailer he rounded the side and saw Caddo and Monroe talking to one of Arletta's friends, a thin bronze-skinned cutie wearing an oversized pecan cowboy hat. Her narrow oval face was lined with concern and the hand on her hip stance let Erik know shit was serious.

"Aye man, they left. I told 'em Arletta wasn't around here," Monroe said.

"How many?" Erik asked.

His eyes scanned the area looking for mad dog stares or reckless eyeballing from any nearby males on the lookout.

"He was rolling deep, about seven dudes. Young bucks by the way they were acting," Caddo said.

"Is she still with you?" the woman asked.

"What's your name?" Erik asked.

"Farrah."

Erik looked her up and down. This was the friend who told Arletta about his sexual prowess.

"She's around."

"Can I talk to her?"

Farrah's pink-glossed lips were twisted and she looked genuinely agitated.

"She's a little indisposed—"

"I don't care."

Monroe and Caddo gave Erik a look.

"Selena wants us on the bandstand in twenty minutes to give a demo," Monroe said.

"Why us?" Erik whined.

"The dudes she got over there can't do doubles and she wants people to see that. Nana is over there too with Miss May—"

"Nooo," Erik groaned.

"Get it over with, man. They want to see us."

Erik watched a shift change as some staff from the Saloon he worked at took over the mechanical bull ride for his cousins.

"Let's make this quick, girl," Erik said to Farrah.

The woman followed Erik to the trailer.

"Hurry up, cuz," Monroe called while checking his cell phone.

Farrah's eyes regarded the inside of the trailer with curiosity and Erik pointed to the mini stairs and Farrah stepped up to the bedroom. Arletta was still on his bed butt naked and not rushed about leaving there anytime soon.

"What are you doing here?" Arletta snapped.

"Trevor and them looking for your ass."

"You told them I was here? That was stupid—"

"I didn't think you'd be fucking him!"

"That's my business."

"Well, whatever girl, but we're going to leave soon so come on."

Arletta's eyes sought out Erik's.

"I can give you a ride home later," he offered.

Arletta grinned and sank back down on the bed, her lush frame making him think of more positions to put her in later. Especially tossing her big legs over his shoulders…

"You should leave with us. Trevor is hot about this shit and you really fucked it up for the rest of us," Farrah complained.

"Girl, bye—"

"Hey, Farrah, I'll get her home safe. Won't be no problems with ole boy."

"You don't know Trevor. He'll act a fool in a minute," she said.

"I got this."

Her eyes glanced at the burner poking out from his waistband even though the shirt covered it.

"Bye Farrah. He'll take me home."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Farrah huffed leaving the trailer.

Erik closed the door and climbed up to his bed and sat down on it. Arletta straddled his lap. His gun tapped against her stomach.

"I gotta go do some shit for my cousin at the bandstand so I'll be back later. You can take a shower. Everything you need is in the bathroom. The cupboard on the right of the shower stall has washcloths and towels. The body wash is a masculine scent but it'll work for ya."

Arletta kissed him and then used her teeth to tug on his bottom lip. Her pretty heart-shaped face was both sweet-looking and mischievous at the same time. Her professionally-shaped thick eyebrows accented deep-set eyes that twinkled at him.

"I'll be ready for you when you get back."

"Have that pussy wet for me."

"I will. With my legs wide open."

"That's what I like. I got some Henny and vodka in the kitchen if you want to drink. Should be some beer left in the fridge if you want to sip until I get back."

"Tryna get me drunk, boy?"

"That's up to you."

His hands rubbed big circles on her backside eventually grabbing and shaking it playfully.

"I get a little wild with liquor," she crooned.

Her nails raked softly across the back of his neck.

"Promise?" he said.

"Mmmhmmm."

"I'll just tame your hot little ass then."

"I hope so. My pussy needs your big dick again, Daddy…"

Her lips were not shy with his. Their necks twisted side to side and his fingers hooked into her ass cheeks pulling them apart and shaking the weight of them again. He broke away fast.

"We betta stop. You'll have my dick up and I'll be late helping my cousin out."

Arletta crawled away from him and opened her legs wide. Her fingers fondled her delectable folds and she pulled them apart. The pink of her nails accentuated the pink of her pussy as she showed it to him.

"I can't wait for you to be back inside of me."

Two of her fingers sank into her slit and she pleasured herself.

"Don't tease me like that, girl…"

Erik tried to force his loins to stay still. Big fine was making it difficult to leave. While her right hand fondled her pussy, her left hand gripped her left breast cradling the fullness. She lifted her legs up high and all he could see was that plump coochie getting shinier and sounding like she was mixing some thick cake batter for his desert. He stood up and pushed down on his dick.

"Daddy!" she cried out.

Fuck, she was a squirter too?

A small bit of clear fluid shot out and dribbled down her crinkly opened folds. Her index and middle finger became a blur rubbing her clit.

"Huh…huh…huh…huh…ohhhh!"

Erik watched Arletta's vulva and asshole contract rapidly as she made herself cum while he watched. He groaned out loud.

"Arletta…fuck...working that pretty pussy for me!"

This girl knew what she was doing.

Erik looked down at his pants.

Shit.

A boner poked out from below. He removed his gun from his jeans and Arletta scrambled over to him and unfastened his metal button and zipped down. Her hot mouth became a temporary warm pussy for him as she allowed him to fuck her face.

"Erik! Let's go!"

Monroe banged on the trailer door.

Arletta reached up and took the gun from his hand and held it for him so he wouldn't fuck up and shoot inside the room. She held it by the side of her thigh as he gripped her head and stroked into her throat. Her lips stretched as best they could.

"Suck on me…just like that girl…suck on Daddy…you not shy at all…I like that shit. Yeah…keep sucking like that…fuck…"

The only sound in the room was her lips and tongue.

"I like how you spit on Daddy, do that again…yeah…all over my dick…nasty girl…slide that tongue…ooh shit…deep throating my shit. Mouth so wet…so fucking wet!"

Erik reached down and clutched her left breast. He squeezed the heft several times before he felt a slight tightening at the root of his dick.

"Suck that cum out, Arletta. Nice and slow baby…yeah…make me nut in your mouth…"

The noise in her throat changed to deep glug-glug sounds as he clutched her hair in a power grip and thrust more inches.

"Giving me some good mouth pussy, girl."

Arletta choked from laughing and pulled his dick out to breathe. Her mouth was full of warm spit and her eyes watered from the thickness penetrating her throat.

"Get back on this dick," he demanded.

Arletta took in more deep breaths.

Erik leaned down and kissed her, tonguing her hard so he could taste his own self in her mouth. She pushed him back and gobbled up his dick again, her neck working overtime as her cheeks hollowed out to drain him once more.

It didn't take long for him to spill into her mouth as her tongue cradled his dick like a soft bed of pliant muscle.

"Don't stop, don't stop…keep going…I'm cumming…I'm cumming…oh shit…making me cum so hard, baby…!"

Erik's loud groans choked off into soft whimpers as Arletta brought him to satisfactory completion that made his firm butt cheeks clench tight. Her naughty brown eyes were on his as her succulent lips milked him slowly. Heavy spurts of his creamy cum drenched her throat and she released him when she couldn't swallow it all down without gagging. He fisted the rest of his semen onto her face. When he staggered back to catch his breath, he couldn't help but admire how sexy she looked holding his gun on her thigh with his jizz all over her cheeks and lips. He grabbed his balls and squeezed them hoping he would have something left for later. He zipped up and fastened his pants and Arletta held his weapon out to him.

"Put it back," he whispered.

She tucked it into his waistband with nimble fingers.

"Good girl. Be ready for this dick when I come back."

"Yes, Sir."

###

Caddo, Monroe, and Biandro waited for Erik to load Big Man into his trailer stall. He could hear Arletta using his shower inside and he ran scenarios in his head of how he wanted her on his return. The girl had him sprung for the moment. When he was finished with Big Man, his cousins followed him to his double cab truck and they all piled in.

Erik tucked his gun in the side pocket of the driver's side door and backed up the vehicle slowly watching the camera on his dashboard to make sure no one was behind him. He drove the truck through the nearest staff exit and made his way around to the other side of the fairground and parked near another staff vehicle entrance.

"Let's get this over with, fellas," Monroe mumbled throwing on his silver-sand colored ridgetop cowboy hat.

Erik, Caddo, and Biandro slipped on their Nana Rae approved light brown cattleman hats for show and followed Monroe through the staff gate, and meandered over to the bandstand stage.

They all climbed the stage stairs as a boisterous crowd of onlookers stood ready to watch their cousin Selena Stevens lead an introduction to Chicago-style steppin'. One thing the Stevens family did well as a unit was cut up on a dance floor.

Erik's second favorite girl cousin stood with a mic in her hand. Selena looked pissed at them and made a big show of glancing at her wristwatch. Erik made them ten minutes late. Irritated dark round eyes glared at him. Her flat-ironed shoulder-length black hair looked like it was curling at the roots from dancing all day. Selena's full sensual features had the men watching from below jockeying to catch her eye. But those sullen eyes were squarely on Erik because his trifling male cousins all nodded their head his way as a silent explanation for their tardiness.

Monroe was by her side to take over MC duties once she was done introducing her regular dancers, locals who frequented the Texas Longhorn Saloon, along with some fair-goers who volunteered to participate in the demonstration. Scanning the late evening audience, Erik saw his grandmother Nana Rae standing near a cement pillar with her good friend Miss May, the sister of his grandmother's church Pastor. Her granddaughter was in town from grad school and Nana Rae wanted him to meet up with her once more formally after months of Erik putting it off. Miss May's granddaughter was cute and had a nice little figure, but the last thing Erik wanted was to start any type of relationship with a woman connected to his Nana's Pastor. What made the avoidance trickier was that everyone in town knew that Miss May was a roots woman known to make hoodoo love potions and blood-red mojo bags.

Erik hated being near the woman because she was always trying to touch him with big hugs so she could snatch something from him: a bit of hair from his head or his incoming beard, or maybe even scratch or tickle him lightly so a bit of loose skin could get trapped under her long scarlet fingernails and used to bind him to some conjuring she was bound to trap him with for…what was the girl's name again? Kris. As long as he stayed out of reach physically and kept moving while he was near her, he'd be safe. Nana Rae was no real help by goading the woman on. Word in the Stevens family was that if Nana could break the wild mustang in Erik, the rest of the Stevens grandsons would fall in line fast. Erik planned on being a bachelor for a long ass time. He was still young and virile even though he was pushing thirty by three years, and he would keep his grandmother and mother running circles trying to corral him for many more years to come.

Selena stepped forward and some feedback squeaked from the mic and she cut her eyes at the soundman on the side of the stage. Her mother was a D.C. native, and even though Selena was born and bred in Mariscal, her Mama's East coast DMV roots showed up in her speech patterns, and he heard an East Coast tone in her words at that moment.

"At last, the rest of our demonstrators are here…thank you Erik…line dancing, steppin', boppin', shaking that rump is what we do around here, so without further ado, I'll turn it over to my cousin Monroe and we'll give y'all a lil taste…"

Selena slammed the mic in Monroe's hand as she moved next to Erik. Caddo and Biandro snatched up two other women for partners after taking off their hats, so Selena huffed and puffed when she realized she had to be paired with Erik. She tugged on her high-waisted denim jacket and ran a hand over her hair. Erik passed his hat off to Monroe.

"Straighten up your face," he whispered in her ear.

Selena gave a fake smile as she faced the audience.

"Oh look, isn't that Kris with Miss May waiting on your trifling behind?"

Erik looked back over at their grandmother and saw Kris standing next to Miss May's wide frame.

"Nana will have you married off in no time," she said with a hint of a cackle under the snark.

Erik stared behind him as Monroe did his usual braggadocious intro as the live band took a break behind them. Monroe whispered to the male DJ who was set up near the left side of the stage. Erik's eyes wandered over to the unpaired women lined up to the side.

"Which one should I snatch?" Erik asked.

"Earnestine—"

"Earnestine? Who is still calling they kids with those old ass names? Ain't no seventy-year-old bitches up on this stage."

"Stop being rude. She's the woman in the yellow skirt."

Erik's eyes took in the legs first before he got a gander at the yellow dropped-waist skirt Earnestine wore. Almond-eyed with a burgundy bob cut, Earnestine looked ready to rumble. She watched Erik with keen interest.

"Time to cut up on this Happy Juneteenth day! And here we goooo!" Monroe crooned into the mic.

A nice steppin' mix fired up the crowd and the side dancers on stage began to do the basic steppin' pattern of kick, kick, cross, cross motions with their feet as they waited for the chance to cut up.

"These lights are hot!" Erik grumbled as he grasped Selena's hands.

"Don't get too fancy in the beginning. Keep it basic for the first minute," she said mirroring Erik's lead in reverse while kicking up her two-toned black and white heels.

Erik shook his hips and spun Selena out before snatching her back with some arm work. He dipped her and she relaxed with a gentle laugh. The moment he had her in the groove, she lost that crankiness toward him. They moved in sync with Caddo and Biandro. Whistles, claps, and words of encouragement were shouted to them. As the first song flowed into the next one, Erik stepped Selena toward Earnestine. He held his hand out for an extra partner and the woman clasped it with confidence.

"Get it, y'all!" Monroe shouted.

"Do it, E!" Biandro yelled.

Caddo and Biandro joined the background to give Erik space to move with both women at the same time. Earnestine was good. Erik released Selena for about six seconds as he stepped with Earnestine, pulling her in tight before reaching back for Selena again, using both of his hands to spin the women in two different directions before they crossed back over to him. He slid a hand around Earnestine's waist and rocked her next to his hip as he twirled Selena then did the same to her as Earnestine worked her foot pattern in time to the beat giving him a few seconds to cut up before catching her again. The woman was good. Just as good as Selena and that made Erik enjoy himself. He could ham it up when he wanted to, but he had to allow Caddo and Biandro to get a taste.

Erik passed Selena to Biandro as Caddo stepped to the forefront with the girl he was paired with and snatched Earnestine up. He watched Biandro and Selena show off a bit before his eyes fell on Caddo who was King of the tight and close. Erik kicked and crossed his feet in time to the beat so that the couples were surrounded by movement. The crowd was into it. Glancing past the hot lights, Erik could see Nana Rae clapping her hands along with Miss May. Kris had her eyes glued to Erik's face. He swallowed hard and made a mental note to get away from the stage fast when they were finished.

Seven minutes went by before Selena led the crowd in a few popular line dances that got Black folks turned up and dancing along with them. He saw beginners flock to the front of the stage to get the moves down. Erik danced next to Selena's homegirl Jade whose big curled brim cowgirl hat stood out with an unusual strappy leather band decorated with a unique-looking cowrie shell center buckle.

"New creation?" he said as he admired the craftsmanship.

"Yeah? You like? Got a whole new shipment of bald hats that came in a few weeks ago. Been decorating and selling these puppies online like crazy."

"It's nice. Different. I may get Nana one."

She spun around so he could see the entire hat.

Monroe stepped to the far left of the stage.

"Just follow Selena if you need help…that's it roll it, roll it…y'all know the song. Sing it with me! Sexy lady…so fine…on a scale of one to ten she's a what?"

"Ninety-nine!" the crowd shouted back.

"Jump up…roll it, roll it…jump back…roll it, roll it…to the left…back to the right…cha cha to the front…y'all got it! Got my grandmother out her rockin' out. Hey Nana Rae I see you!"

Their grandmother threw her hands in the air and waved at Monroe as he shouted her out, the sparkly band on her cowboy hat shining near the stage lights and making her gorgeous face glow. Nana Rae was a voluptuous Black Native woman who still turned heads with a full head of thick lush dark brown hair sprinkled with tasteful grays that fell down her back. Seventy-one years young, Nana Rae was a stunner back in her day, and as quiet as it was kept within the family, all the Stevens men got their swag from her and only her. Sexy, youthful, fast with the trash talk, and heavy-handed when she brought down the law of the roost, no one messed with Nana Rae Stevens. Unless they wanted buckshot in their ass as she cursed a mean streak.

Erik was ready to head back to the trailer and Arletta.

They lead a few more line dances and Selena was grinning ear to ear when they finished. Erik exited stage right and his grandmother and Miss May cornered him. Kris was nowhere near them, but Erik made sure to be out of arms reach from Miss May.

"Don't even try to run off, boy," Nana Rae scolded.

Erik turned his head back toward the stage pleading for one of his cousins to save him. But Caddo and Biandro exited on the other side of the stage. Monroe looked down at him and shrugged his shoulders.

These negroes.

Miss May stepped forward with her hands moving into an outstretched give-your-Auntie-a-hug stance and Monroe came through on the clutch with the live band.

"We want to thank Mrs. Rae Stevens for overseeing a lot of the talent you saw on stage here tonight for this wonderful Juneteenth celebration. I'd like to do a song for her to show our appreciation…fellas can ya help me out with a little Tennessee Whiskey?"

Nana Rae's beautiful feline eyes rose away from Erik's face up to Monroe's as the band launched into a melodic slow drag. With his grandmother and Miss May preoccupied with Monroe's smooth voice as he did some serious runs with the bluesy country song, Erik slithered away. In his peripheral, he caught Kris heading his way, and he turned his head in time to catch Jade's cowrie shell laced hat move in front of him.

Erik reached out and grabbed Jade's hand, charging forward through the crowd dragging her behind him.

"Help me out for just a few seconds," he said as Monroe's voice lulled everyone into rubbing up against their best girl or guy.

His eyes darted to and fro making sure he lost Kris as he slipped a hand on the small of Jade's…

Fuck.

The woman he pressed up against wasn't Jade. Same unique cowgirl hat. Totally different woman.

Eyes like a slow-burning fire that crackled and popped with their dark devilish brown intensity stared back at him. High sharp cheekbones on a perfectly oval face only made her deep burgundy brown skin look majestic. Ethereal.

Tall.

The woman was only about an inch shorter than him. Erik's pinky and ring finger skimmed along the curve of her lower back as it flared out to a nice ass encased in tight jeans. The kind of ass a woman had to jump into pants a few times in order to fit everything inside.

A fucking thoroughbred is what Erik had his arm around.

"Sorry beautiful, I thought you were a friend of mine. I was trying to avoid someone."

She smelled so good. Whatever fragrance she wore, the scent was dizzying and seductive. Almost forbidden. She smelled like the promise of illicit delights on a cold winter night. Warm and spicey. It had a strange top note of coffee with some exotic floral mixture.

His hand wouldn't move from where it rested on her. Monroe serenaded the slow dancing crowd and when his voice hit a high note and the woman didn't push Erik away, he slid in closer to her statuesque frame and rocked her in time to the music.

"Are you still trying to avoid that someone?" she asked.

A sultry voice matched the rest of the perfect package. Jesus help me, he thought. Looking around them, he didn't see Kris. But he could still see his grandmother and Miss May near the front of the stage.

"Nah, looks like they passed me up."

Her hands slid up his arms and then his shoulders. She curled them around his neck and her bold eyes held his. He let his other hand wrap around her waist. She had nice full fleshy lips and he got lost staring at them. His eyes dropped down to her v-neck black shirt. Deep cleavage met his gaze.

"Aye man, let's head back. Biandro got a ride over to the bull already," Caddo said, interrupting Erik's reverie.

The band struck up a zydeco tune and Erik saw Monroe waving to the crowd and leaving the stage. Caddo headed back toward where the truck was parked, his eyes giving the woman cursory appraisal as he left. Erik could tell his cousin was sick with the fact that he caught another dime piece.

Erik ran a sly hand down her side before letting her go.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"What's yours?"

"Erik."

"Brandy."

"Like in the song."

"What?"

"The song my cousin just sang. The part that goes, 'warm as a glass of Brandy'."

"Oh…yeah."

Her smile thrilled his heart.

"Thanks for saving me."

"Anytime," she said.

He tipped his hat at her and she tipped hers back making him laugh.

Brandy walked away from him and Erik watched her disappear in the crowd of dancers vibing to the Cajun/Creole rhythms the band was spitting hot and fast. Caddo slid back next to him.

"Got thickums waiting on you back at the trailer, and a motherfucking stallion sashaying her fine ass away from you. I hate you right now," Caddo quipped.

Monroe eventually caught up with them.

"Nice save, cuz," Erik said giving Monroe dap as they climbed back into Erik's truck.

It took a little more time to get the truck back around to the other side of the fair because Monroe kept chatting with women who were leaving the grounds for the night. His rap game was strong and many of the women had swooned to his singing, so Erik and Caddo had to endure him flirting and getting kisses on his cheek for a job well done. One honey was hot in the pants and kissed Monroe full on the lips and the man tongued her down and nearly pulled her into the truck through the window. They exchanged numbers on their cells and Erik finally burned rubber to get away.

"I'm hitting that up tonight!" Monroe bragged while wiping his lips.

Finally pulling around to the staff entrance near the bull riding attraction, Erik and his cousins saw Black men scuffling in the parking lot.

"It was only a matter of time," Erik said chuckling.

"Aye…shit! That's Biandro," Monroe shouted jumping out of the truck.

Erik and Caddo bailed with him as they started punching niggas in jaws and necks trying to get the roughnecks away from their blood. Biandro was fighting like a G, but he had been outnumbered and his face showed that he had been worked over good.

"Getcho ass in the car, Arletta!"

Erik threw down a husky and out of shape punk as his head whipped around to see who was calling Arletta's name.

He saw her standing near the open passenger door of a dark slate gray '68 Plymouth lowrider. She wore nothing but her sandals and one of Erik's black button-down shirts that went to her knees. He knew she was still naked underneath.

"Leave him alone! That's not him!" she screamed.

Erik's eyes scoped out the man ordering her around. Big-boned and thick-headed, Arletta's recently thrown to the streets ex-boyfriend Trevor looked like he had smoke coming out of his ears. The rowdy bunch surrounded Erik, Caddo, and Monroe as the lull in fighting ceased allowing Biandro to limp his way over to Erik's truck wiping his bloodied lip.

"They rolled up on me when Arletta came out of the trailer thinking I was you," Biandro said.

He spat out blood onto the dirt.

"You aight?"

"I'm fine. They caught me when I was carrying shit to my car out here. Just outnumbered."

Erik cracked his knuckles and glanced over at Caddo and Monroe.

"Time to show these niggas what's up for real," Erik sneered.

His eyes zeroed in on Trevor.

"I'm the one you want," Erik snarled.

Trevor eyeballed him and then he glared at Arletta.

"We got us a little situation, son," Trevor growled as he puffed up his chest.

"Ain't nothing you want over here, boy. You best move along before you get your ass handed to you. Arletta, go on back to the trailer baby. I'll be there in a minute."

Trevor's eyes grew hot when he watched his ex saunter her fine ass back toward the staff entrance.

"Arletta! Bitch, bring your ass back he—"

Erik choked off Trevor's breath with one hand wrapped around his throat.

"I said you don't want none of this smoke, boy."

Erik shoved him back and Trevor fell down. But the man was ready and tossed dirt in Erik's eyes before pummeling him and throwing him on the ground. Erik squinted while he punched Trevor, connecting his fists with the man's huge noggin. With impaired vision, Erik pushed Trevor off of him but they ended up rolling around in the dirt together. All around them grown men were throwing hands with grunts, shouts, and painful cries ringing out. He could hear hard fists making impact with muscles and soft flesh. Erik's vision cleared up and he stepped his foot in Trevor's ass better. The man was not a quitter from the beat down Erik gave him, but he was wearing thin and Erik had enough. He was ready to end his night relaxing and having Arletta bounce on his dick. Trevor was kicked to the curb by her and would have to give up the ghost.

The fighting went on and on.

Caddo was handling two niggas at one time. Monroe pimp slapped another punk as he avoided two others in the skirmish, while Biandro knocked out one to his knee, as two others jumped in from the side in another surprise attack. Erik stomped over to the open driver's side door of his truck and snatched up his burner. He swung around and stalked after Trevor aiming his gun at the man's head. Trevor raised his hands. The other men kept fighting.

"This what you want, boy?" Erik barked.

Trevor backed up toward his lowrider with cool fear in his eyes.

Erik's sensitive ears heard the pump of a double-barrel shotgun before the first loud blast went above their heads. Another went off and everyone dropped to the ground except for Erik who kept his weapon trained on Trevor.

"Put that goddamn gun away!"

Nana Rae's voice rang out with crackling fury.

"We good over here, Nana," Erik said keeping his eyes on Trevor.

"On this sacred day? The day our people learned they were free and you ungrateful brats are out here acting like animals! A holy day—"

"It's done. We through here. Ain't that right, Lil man?"

Erik saw Trevor's lips twist in a tight scowl at his words.

"This better not be over some woman, Erik—"

"It is, Nana, it is," Caddo snitched.

Erik heard footsteps and then felt the presence of his grandmother right next to him.

"A woman, Erik?" Nana Rae spat.

"Granddaddy busted caps in two niggas over you, Nana—"

"Yeah, but at least he had the decency to do it in private and not in front of a bunch of witnesses. Put that thang away!"

It took Erik fifteen long seconds to finally do what his grandmother asked. She waved her shotgun around.

"I can smell the liquor all over y'all. Shameful," she yelled at the attackers.

Her eyes regarded one of the husky young men who tried his best to avoid Nana Rae's steel gaze.

"Ain't you Ruth Morgan's son? Victor?

"Yes, Ma'am."

She shook her head and the man's eyes dropped away with embarrassment.

"I would hate for her to find her child with a hole in his body from messing with my boys-"

"No, Ma'am."

"Goodnight," she said firmly.

Beaten and dispirited, Trevor and his friends lumbered away licking their wounds toward the lowrider and a nearby compact car. Nana Rae waited until they drove off before she lowered her shotgun. Her gentle fingers scratched under Erik's chin playing with the scruffy hairs there.

"Every year, boy. Every damn year it's something with you."

Although a scolding tone marinated her words, there was a shining pride in her eyes. That Nana Rae rascal blood flowed in him. She got down in her day and it was only fitting that her grandbaby carried on the tradition.

"I only came over here to tell you to be at the Willow Restaurant at one o'clock on Sunday for brunch with me and Miss May…and Kris."

"Nana…"

Her eyes challenged him to say more. He kept his mouth shut.

She plodded over to her truck. His focus now free, Erik saw that Miss May was waiting for his grandmother in the truck. His hand clutched at his chin suddenly. Did Nana steal some hairs?

"Get outta here before security comes to check on them shots fired," she ordered.

She placed her gun in the cab of her truck and climbed in. Honking her horn at them, she drove away.

"Go get your prize, nigga," Monroe said.

Arletta lingered near a random parked car watching him.

"I'll bring the truck around," Monroe called to him.

Erik waved his hand above his head and tucked his burner in the back of his waistband.

"You hardheaded," Erik said when he approached Arletta.

She stroked his neck.

"I'm dirty…gotta take a shower because of you," he grumbled.

"I like you dirty."

Her lips sought his and he obliged by lowering his head to her and allowing her to kiss him. He lifted her up and she wrapped those big legs around his waist. His right hand reached around the back of her ass and dipped down to the back of her vulva. She was ocean wet there. He felt her pussy lips throb against his hand.

Erik carried her all the way back to the trailer. He stripped down naked and climbed into his shower and she unbuttoned his shirt that she had on and joined him. Using her hands, Arletta lathered up his liquid soap and washed every inch of his body. He turned off the water when he was rinsed clean and she dropped to her knees and sucked him to a heavy erection.

Arletta led him out of the shower and he tried to grab a condom from the open box he had in a bathroom drawer, but she was moving fast and his fingers fumbled so he grabbed the entire box.

They didn't even make it to his bedroom.


	4. You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik goes to brunch under Nana Rae's orders and ends up in a pickle at his night job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frontier Friday! Enjoy!

"You  
Don't stress me  
At times you test me  
But I pass for (you)  
So I promise (you)  
I'm not leaving (you)  
Only a fool would leave (you)  
Or try to deceive (you)  
I give my word to (you)  
I would die for (you)  
Girl, I live for (you)  
Said I breathe for (you)  
I adore (you)  
No one but (you)  
Came right on time (you)"

Raheem DeVaughn – "You"

Erik awoke to severe throbbing pain in his right temple.

Rubbing the side of his head he rolled over in bed with a groan buried deep in his throat. He stunk of Henny and some dank kush and when his shoulder hit the body next to him, he tried to remember the name that went with it.

Shit.

The liquor and weed had his brain foggy and slow and when he opened his sticky eyes a little wider, he admired the curve of the woman's backside under the sheet. Erik scratched his balls and sat up. The bedroom spun for a few seconds as he regained his equilibrium. He could hear his generator kicking on as the air conditioning resumed cooling the stickiness from his body. It was a sauna inside the trailer and how this woman could be wrapped in anything was beyond him.

Arletta.

That was her name.

Erik's brain slowly regained lost memory cells. Drinking all that extra Henny out of Arletta's belly button and licking it off of her breasts several times for fun may not have been the move the night before. He leaned over the side of the mattress and picked up a half bottle of ibuprofen and a fresh bottle of room temperature water. Popping down two acrid pills, Erik reached over and shook Arletta's hip.

"Hey. Wake up. Time to get you back home."

He had shit to do before his time with the bull again.

Arletta rolled over, her eyes puffy and pink, and her voluptuous body making him rethink his day.

"I don't have to be anywhere anytime soon," she whispered.

Her hand reached down and stroked the wood propped up against his stomach.

"I'ma take a shower," he said rolling off of the bed.

Arletta pouted.

"I'll be back," he said.

Erik padded down the steps and across the trailer stretching his arms as he went. The first splash of water on his body was lukewarm, the heat outside denying him cool refreshment. He washed his body and hair then took the time to shave a bit and brush his teeth. As he flossed, he heard Arletta moving around in the trailer.

Throwing on loose jeans and a thin white t-shirt, Erik walked out of the bathroom to find Arletta cooking him breakfast. Naked. The odor of fried eggs and sausage struck his nose and he watched toast pop out of the toaster.

"Sit down," she said.

He strolled over to the dinette table and sat down.

She buttered the toast and slathered it with strawberry jam. Fixing him a big plate she sat it in front of him. He was about to tuck in with a hearty appetite, but she sat that scrumptious ass of hers on his lap and fed him.

"Tryna spoil me?" he said as he accepted the well-seasoned fried eggs on the fork she held against his lips.

"You deserve to be spoiled," she said.

Her lips grazed his cheek as she planted a kiss on his nose. She fed him some more and he loved the hell out of it until she crawled off of his lap.

"My turn to shower," she said.

He continued eating as she cleaned up in the bathroom.

By the time he finished the entire plate, she was back with him. Still naked.

"I opened one of the new toothbrushes you had in there," she said.

He nodded and she sat back on his lap. Her lips found his and she seduced him once more with a sensual kiss. His nature rose again, but she was ready for him. She unfastened his jeans and he helped her pull them down to his thighs. Erik watched her unwrap a condom and roll it onto his erection.

"I took the liberty of opening a new box in the bathroom," she whispered into his mouth as she curled her tongue around his.

Erik leaned back as Arletta straddled his thighs and inserted his dick inside her pussy. He grunted as she adjusted her position and he was not ashamed to groan out loud when she sat all the way down on his length until his balls rested against her ass cheeks. She bounced on him and her breasts had him enthralled. The only noise he heard was the air conditioner and her wet pussy talking to him.

"Fuck…I like this," he panted.

"You can have it every morning," she sighed stuffing her left nipple in his mouth.

Erik sucked on her tits as she rode his dick fast. Her titty popped out of his mouth when she began slamming her fat cheeks on his thighs. The clapping noise made his toes curl.

"Do what you need to do, girl. Getcho nut," he huffed clutching onto her back.

Erik allowed her to do all the work as he sat back and enjoyed the view. He wasn't going to forget her name anytime soon. Cooking for him. Feeding him. Dick-riding like a champ. He was most definitely keeping this fine woman around. Trevor had every right to try and reclaim her because this loose cannon was making him bust the hardest nut he'd had in the morning in a long time.

"Arletta! Fuck girl…I'm cumming…I'm cumming…!"

"Buss all in this pussy, boy!"

He wasn't hitting her skins raw, but the way he was spurting inside her with that condom on made him want to. Especially with how she was talking him through his orgasm. Arletta was a dick linguist. She made shit feel ten times better by encouraging him with so much nasty talking.

"You can fuck me in my ass if you want to, Erik…" she crooned in his ear.

"You wild, girl."

"You felt so good last night, and right now…oh Daddy, right now!"

She slammed her pussy down on him harder as she came on his dick without any help from him. Her vocal gymnastics probably scared the security guards making the morning rounds. Erik bit his lip and thrust up into her as her mouth fell open. Her eyes squeezed shut as her body quaked above him. She collapsed on his chest, her big soft breasts making him feel warm and protected from stress.

He was most definitely keeping this woman around.

"C'mon, girl. Lemme get you up outta here for real now."

"I want to stay with you. I can hang out and watch you work."

"No, you can't do that. You'll distract me."

"How?" she said jiggling her breasts in her hands.

"You ain't right," he said slapping one of her tits playfully before he sucked on it again.

It took a long time to get Arletta dressed and out of the trailer. The bright Texas sun had them both squinting as he hustled her to his truck after he fed and walked Big Man around the fairground. Biandro showed up to get the ride started with another fellow and Erik left his horse with his cousin to look after while he was gone for a couple of hours.

Arletta lived in a suburb not too far from the fairgrounds so he was glad he didn't have to go too far out of his way to get her back to her roommate, Farrah. They shared a townhouse in a new planned community. Mariscal was no longer the small frontier town it once was long ago. It was now a big city expanding with population growth and big dreams of becoming the next urban giant rivaling Chicago or New York.

Arletta waved to him as she rolled them hips up to her home. Erik shook his head in his truck. He knew good and well he would be between those legs again in no time flat.

He ran his errands within the two hours he allotted himself. Post office run. Picking up dry cleaning. Dropping off money to his mother so she could pay for some fancy new golf clubs she wanted to buy for his father as a family gift for his birthday.

He drove over to his grandmother's ranch with an hour to spare. Rolling onto the property affectionately known as The Roux, Erik took a moment to admire the sprawling plains filled with evergreen trees and wildflowers. The sandy loam of good brown earth carried so much history for the Stevens clan. There was family blood mixed in with that earth. Hard fought for earth. East Texas was their homeland and the ground he drove on was handed down from his great-great-great-great-grandfather a Hasinai man called Boss Caddo by white people. His real name was never known to them for he never gave it. He only answered to Boss because he liked the connotation every time a white man or a white woman had to say it. The surname was just a play on his Native tribal group forcibly relocated to Indian Territory in Oklahoma during the Great Removal.

Kadohadacho.

Caddo.

Boss Caddo's people originally thrived in East Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Mississippi. And then they didn't. Boss married up a Black woman he freed from slavery by winning her in a poker game from a desperate poor white trash homesteader. The story was, he couldn't stand slavery, white people, or bad tobacco. The woman wanted to go back to Louisiana to find her people, but Boss told her she would risk being enslaved again. It was better to go further West. He couldn't go too far out there himself because of the U.S. Calvary and Buffalo Soldiers rounding up "bad" Indians. She didn't go. That's how their great-great-great-great grandmother Ella hooked up with a Native man, got married and had twelve babies, and never looked further East nor West again.

Erik tried to imagine two hard-scrabble people from two different fucked over worlds linking up and looking at this land thinking they could give it a go as a united couple. How would they feel knowing that their many great-grandchildren were thriving on this same landscape that must've looked dangerous, wild, and so untamed to thieving white folks back then?

Because of pencil genocide and the Caddo Nation's blood quantum laws to stay federally recognized by the U.S., Nana Rae, her brother Archie, and her younger sister Corrine were the last of the Black Natives in their family who could claim legal citizenship ties to the tribe. Once they were gone, Boss Caddo's people back in Oklahoma could act like they didn't exist anymore even though that Caddo Nation blood ran through Erik's veins and in that of all his cousins, siblings, his father, Aunts, and Uncles. Any babies he had in the future would be part of that heritage. To the tribe and to the government they were just of Native descent. Nothing more. That was alright with Erik. Being Black was enough living in America. Nana Rae made sure someone in the family carried the tribal name though. She named her middle son Caddo, and he passed the name on to Erik's cousin, that rascal, and his forever road dog, little Caddo.

The barking started the minute he passed the grouping of piney wood trees that rested near the Mesquite river that flowed through their three-thousand acres. Granddaddy Caddo knew how to get his hands on valuable things to keep his wife happy and free from worry. Their land was their family legacy. Erik rolled down his window to take in the fresh open air and that wild shallow-root mesquite tree scent that kicked up that time of year. Shaolin, Dirty Bastard, and Rza came running up to Erik's truck, all three black and white border collies whining the moment they saw and smelled it was him and not some stranger posting up on their territory.

Nana Rae, with the help of Erik and several ranch hands, raised grazing cattle, boarded expensive horses, and allowed Erik to indulge in his favorite pastime. Training Friesen horses for equestrian dressage competitions. He also bred the beautiful black Friesens with the long jet- black silky manes, and leg feathers. They were amazing draft horses used for battle in ancient times and Erik got a kick out of a Black man championing that majestic black breed.

The great thing about having three thousand acres of land was having the space to do all the things his family loved. Raising and caring for horses, growing food in-house that they sold as organic beef, and sharing their culture. Nana Rae ran a tight ship with the land, even tending to a small garden where she could grow her own corn, beans, squash, collards, tomatoes, and cabbage. Her great joy was hosting an annual trail ride for the Texas Black Cowboy Association. It was a family-run venture, but most of the family physically working there consisted of Erik, Biandro, and Selena. Biandro ran the boarding side of the business with Selena. Monroe was the family lawyer who also worked for a well-known Mariscal law firm, and Caddo ran his own contracting business and security firm. The family as a whole did well, but like most families, there were those extended relations who fell by the wayside and needed help occasionally. Nana Rae depended on her boys and her girl. It was also why she was so keen on getting them all married off to bring in wives and more great-grandchildren. She claimed to not retire until every grandson was married and set up in a family household of their own. She wanted more stewards available to care for their land. Nana Rae felt blessed to live long enough to have grown grandchildren. She felt strong enough to usher in some more great-grandbabies in retirement.

"Get back now!" Erik shouted when the dogs got too close to his tires.

They followed him all the way past the stables and the man-made lake.

The main house became visible and he could see Nana Rae out in front of her East Texas-style ranch home fussing with one of her ranch hands. It looked like Jose Luis by the brown trail hat. Erik pulled around to the side and greeted the dogs who jumped all over him.

"Hey, Nana," Erik said.

He nodded to Jose Luis who looked like he was happy to see someone else arrive.

"The fence down by the North post is rotting and I know I asked to have that taken care of weeks ago," Nana Rae said rolling her eyes at Jose Luis.

"You said we were going to wait to do repairs until after the fair," Erik said.

"I know, but I expect to see supplies stacked and ready to go when the time comes."

"You didn't give permission to get the new supplies, Ma'am," Jose Luis said.

"I told Biandro," Nana Rae said.

"He didn't mention it to me," Jose Luis said.

"He's going to wait until Thursday, Nana. The supplier has a sale that day and he wanted to get it cheaper then," Erik said.

"He didn't tell me that."

"Because that's not your job, lady," Erik said kissing her cheek.

Jose Luis gave a look of relief and made his way back to his own dusty red truck to get back to work on another part of the ranch.

"You worry about stuff that has nothing to do with you," Erik chastised.

"You just make sure your behind is at that brunch tomorrow. I don't want to hear any damn excuses."

Erik rolled his eyes.

"Do that again and see what happens," she snapped.

"I'll be there. Don't expect nothin' though."

"Kris is such a nice young lady. She just got her master's and she's taking some time off to take care of Miss May's little house over on Governor Drive. You remember that house, right? When y'all were little?"

"No—"

"Yes, you do. You eat breakfast?"

"Yes, Ma'am I did."

"Hmmph. Well, there's some biscuits and sausage gravy in the kitchen."

"I just came to get shoes."

"You working the bar tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I swear you love to hustle your little jobs…"

Nana Rae went off about any and everything as Erik followed her into the house to eat a small plate of biscuits and sausage gravy to make her feel good. She sat at the kitchen table with him as he ate and talked up all the positive traits of Kris.

"I believe you when you say that she's a nice girl, Nana, but it won't work. My schedule is hectic, I work a lot of hours and—"

"You can fight on a sabbath day over a hussy you just met, but you can't entertain the notion of spending time with a nice girl from a good family?"

"Nana, why can't you just let us find our partners by ourselves like you did with granddaddy?"

"I've given you boys plenty of time to get it together and sow your oats and shit. It's time to grow up. I want more great-grandbabies and I'm ready to retire—"

"Then retire! You ain't gotta wait on us!"

"Are you raising your voice at me?"

"No Ma'am, I'm just being passionate with my words right now. Where's Pop Pop?"

Nana Rae rolled her eyes.

"That man…," she grumbled.

"You kicked him out the house again?"

"We shall not discuss my personal business."

Erik cackled.

"Oh, but you all up in my grill about mine."

"Boy, hush. Go on and get."

"What he do now?"

"Not what I asked him to do, that's for damn sure."

"And you want to marry me off to experience that life?"

"Get!"

Erik cleaned his plate of food and washed his dishes.

He strolled out to his truck and decided to drive by the guest house. Whenever Erik's grandmother threw out her husband, Pop Pop stayed in the guest house until her temper cooled and he was allowed to return to the main house. Erik thought his grandfather made his grandmother mad on purpose to have a house to himself.

The dogs followed him down past the lake and nearly two football fields away to a smaller, though no less grand, ranch home. A sporty gray Lexus was parked in a side carport.

"Pop Pop," Erik called out his nickname for his grandfather.

He wasn't in the house.

Erik walked through the home and out of the back door and saw his grandfather with a fishing rod heading back up to the house from the direction of the river.

"Hey boy, how ya doin'? Fair going good?"

"Yes Sir."

Erik grabbed the three fish his grandfather carried inside a light blue fishing bucket. Noble Stevens was a big broad man with deep dark umber skin. His eyes were almond-shaped and his flared nostrils made him an imposing figure for all of Erik's life. Nobel leaned his fishing gear against the back door and looked Erik up and down while he wiped his hands.

"Looking good and healthy, boy. That Vanessa taking care of you real good."

"I'm not seeing her no more, Pop Pop."

"No? I liked that young lady. Real polite. Not like that vindictive woman up there," he said cutting his eyes over toward the main house.

"What did you do?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said.

"I can't stay long. Picking up some shoes and then I'm heading out. Came to check on ya."

"Okay. I'm good. I'll be back in the big house soon if ole massa will have me tuh fetch her some wood—"

"Stop!" Erik guffawed, slapping his grandfather's arm.

"She can't sleep without me. She acts like she's so tough. But wait until she needs some lovin' or some good body heat. She'll be flirting with me…calling me up to the house for tea and coconut cake."

"Learn to act right then."

"You learn to act right. Letting Vanessa go. I'm telling you Erik…find you one good woman and your life will change forever. You may get kicked out of the house every now and then…but it's worth it."

"Okay, old man. Check ya later, aight?"

"Yep. Be good."

Erik patted his grandfather's shoulder then hopped back in his truck. The dogs stayed with Nobel as he drove away further north.

A deep sigh left his mouth.

His own house.

Nothing big. Nothing flashy. Just a small two-bedroom dark pinewood property facing the river and the rising sun. Erik hopped out of his truck and walked onto his porch. There was a package waiting for him on a rocking chair and he picked it up and carried it inside. Moving swiftly to his bedroom he dropped the box on his bed and grabbed some new work sneakers in a box and locked his house back up. He took a moment to sit on the steps of his porch and just stare at the water. That afternoon he would work a short shift running the bull, then he would grab some dinner with Caddo at the saloon, and then he'd run the night shift bartending. He stretched his neck and wiggled his feet. Arletta wore him out. Tonight would just be work and then sleep.

Alone.

###

Erik walked into the restaurant and looked around for Nana Rae.

The Willow was a family-themed establishment with good dry rub ribs and tasty steak potatoes. Their Champagne Sunday brunches were legendary and it made Erik take a long time glancing around looking for his party. The place was packed and people were piling their plates high with quality food.

Nana Rae waved at him from the rear of the dining space and Erik groaned internally. They had seating where he had to sit across from Kris. He waved back and let the Hostess know he didn't need guidance. Strolling through the room, Erik approached the table on pins and needles.

"Nana, Miss May…Kris."

Miss May's face beamed, her vivid dark eyes took him in like he was the prize she was waiting all her life to claim for her granddaughter. Erik took his seat and when he looked across at Kris, she was just as uncomfortable and displeased to be there like him. Nana Rae and Miss May were dressed in their Sunday best, but Kris was bundled up in an oversized pink designer sweatshirt and sweatpants. Her thick dark brown hair was pulled back in a bun and her tawny brown make-up free face was cherubic. Apple cheeks, a small dimple in her dainty chin, and naturally thick eyelashes…for some reason she reminded Erik of a little Black Tinker Bell with her petite frame. Her eyes glossed over his face and she was vey disinterested in him. Her plump lips were pursed and she kept stirring a straw in a tall glass of pink lemonade. Nana Rae and Miss May were getting a little tipsy with the champagne. There were four empty glasses already shoved to the end of the table waiting for a server to take them away as they both sipped fresh new drinks.

"Sorry I'm a little late, had to drop off some feed."

"We've only been here ten minutes," Miss May said.

Erik's eye took in the empty drink glasses. They were ready to get turned up then.

"You should come to church one of these Sundays. I just got Kris back into the choir," Miss May said waving her hand toward Kris, "she has a lovely voice."

"Yes, she does," Nana Rae chimed in.

Erik saw Kris slump her shoulders a bit. She was not feeling the vibe at all. Thank God.

"Shall we get some food?" Nana Rae said.

They all stood and walked over to retrieve trays, plates, and silverware.

Erik filled up a bowl of clam chowder from the soup station and headed over to the carving station for some ham and roast beef. While he waited for the cook staff to bring out a fresh batch of mashed potatoes, Kris walked next to him to pour red gravy over the roasted turkey and fried potatoes she had on her plate.

"Listen, can we just get through this brunch for them and leave it at that?" she said.

Erik stared at her face. She was direct and not with the plan at all.

"Cool with me."

"I'm sure you're a nice dude, but I have a boyfriend and my grandmother doesn't like him, so this entire setup is a way for her to sabotage my relationship. I'm not going to be here long anyway, so there's no point to this foolishness."

Erik scooped mashed potatoes next to his roast beef. Kris didn't even bother to look at him as she spoke. She was not feeling him at all.

"I'm not tryna be hemmed up either."

"Good. Nice meeting you…yadda yadda…"

He laughed and the sound made her look up at him. She was a little shorter than Arletta, but her attitude made her seem taller. She finally smiled at him.

"Sorry for coming off blunt. I've only been back a month and my grandmother is trying her best to keep me here. She thinks getting a Masters degree automatically makes jobs appear—"

"You're looking for work?"

"I'm just trying to decompress from finishing grad school. I've been in school for eighteen years straight. I need a break first and then I'll find work."

"What do you want to do?"

They both headed over to the soda fountain to get drinks.

"Write."

"Regular books or…?"

"My Master's is in American History with an emphasis on the Great Black Migration. I would like to teach history and write books on Black cultural geography…"

Sitting back at their table, Erik ate as Kris talked. His grandmother and Miss May were still floating around the various food stations looking at what they wanted to eat.

"What do you do?" she asked.

"Nana didn't tell you?"

Kris rolled her eyes.

"All they talked bout is how tall you were, that you were handsome, single, and needed to settle down."

He grinned.

"When you were at the fair chasing me—"

"I wasn't chasing you," she protested.

"I came off the stage and you came right at me—"

"To tell you that I didn't want to do this stupid brunch set up."

"Oh."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"What do you do?"

"Take care of horses in the daytime, bartend at night."

"That's it?"

"That's a lot."

"No, I mean, they said you went to school."

"I did. Howard. Graduated. And now I care for horses and bartend."

They ate in silence. She sipped on her lemonade.

"Your boyfriend knows you're being set up?"

"Yeah, but he knows how my grandmother is."

"Why doesn't she like him?"

"He's a dreamer. Always has big plans but she thinks he's incapable of following through. We went to school together in D.C. Georgetown. I finished my Masters there too, and he worked for a Congressman. We want to move to California eventually."

"You two live together?"

"Kind of…don't mention him while we're here, okay? He's in town with me and she doesn't know."

Nana Rae and Miss May returned with their plates of ribs, greens, and creamed corn. Kris stopped talking about her boyfriend and the conversation turned toward the upcoming trip to North Carolina for the big trail ride meet-up.

"Kris is going this year," Miss May said.

Erik listened to the two older women speculate on what horse clubs and social groups would turn up the following month. Kris ate her food while casually listening. Her eyes glanced at her cell phone slyly checking the time. Erik relaxed as he ate, the pressure to perform gone, and he was also less leery of Miss May trying to work her roots on him. A person would have to be open and susceptible to fall for any conjuring, and Kris was not with the shits. She was polite. Smart. Cute.

"Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!"

"Arrfff!"

Two different loud barking sounds broke through the table conversation as Erik whipped his head around to see two childhood friends throw up Que dog hand signs. Erik broke out into an easy grin as he held a balled fist to his mouth. He stood up from his seat and gave two linebacker-sized Black men hugs and dap, returning the same hand sign.

"Mrs. Stevens, good to see you!"

Hampton, the taller of the two men reached behind Erik and shook his grandmother's hand. CJ did the same after Hampton was done, and both men ogled Kris. Introductions were made and Erik was happy to see friends again. The fair had him booked and busy for over a month and he had very little time between chasing women, working, and hanging out. It was good to be around male energy that wasn't family sometimes. He kept the conversation quick and invited his friends to come see him work that night. When they left, Kris checked her phone again and Miss May had a grim look on her face. Erik's cell vibrated. He turned it off. He had set up an alarm on his phone to buzz thirty minutes into the brunch as a diversion in case it was unbearable and he could make up an excuse that he was needed elsewhere for one of his jobs. But the food was good, and Kris was entertaining in a weird way. The more she gave off wanting to escape vibes, the more Erik wanted to stay and listen to the older women talk and engage her.

He tried to remember her from when they were little, but the Stevens family knew so many people and interacted with hundreds every year, it was hard for him to pinpoint any memories of her. She was two years younger than him and they didn't run in the same circles. They didn't seem to have anything in common and she wasn't the type of woman who stood out. She just kind of faded in the background.

Before he knew it, the brunch was over, and he had to admit that he enjoyed himself.

"Before I forget, did I tell you Rae that Kris almost had an essay in that 1619 Project that the New York Times Magazine put out?"

Miss May sat back in her seat preening with pride.

"Oh really? You know I had to read it online because they sold out of the hard copies."

"Is that so? I have some extra ones stashed. I'll bring you one—"

"What was your essay about?" Erik asked.

Nana Rae had emailed all of her family a PDF copy of the issue and he had skimmed over a few of the writings in it. He had an interest in history because of his family and Nana Rae.

"It didn't even make the cut," Kris said.

Her eyes were downcast as her finger played with her balled-up napkin.

"But it came close sweetheart, it's still important work. She's shopping it around to see if she can publish it in some academic history journal."

Kris's face became bashful.

"Tell me," he encouraged.

Her eyes became shy as she looked at him.

"It was about slaves brought out West before the Civil War. I worked on it with two of my History Professors who were asked to submit something. I should've submitted my piece on Nicodemus Kansas Black homesteaders, but they wanted to focus on the entire West before slavery had officially ended."

"Don't look so sad, baby, it was a wonderful essay, and to be considered with that work is an honor. Did you all know the woman who put that together won a Pulitzer Prize?"

"Oh, that's wonderful," Nana Rae said looking at Kris with pride in her eyes.

Nana's words seemed to make Kris feel better.

Erik left a twenty-dollar tip on the table and walked all the women out to Nana's truck.

"I gotta go get to work at the fair. Nice meeting you again," he said.

Kris nodded and her eyes fluttered back to her phone.

He helped Miss May get up into Nana's truck as Kris climbed in after her. Nana watched him coyly as he stepped to his car.

"What?" he asked.

"You like her."

"I don't even know her. All we did was eat. I did my part now I'm leaving—"

"Mmhmm, you like her—"

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you stayed."

Nana Rae kissed him on his cheek and he watched her stroll around her truck to get to the driver's side. He climbed into his own ride and drove off before she tried to invite him to the house for tea and coconut cake with Kris.

###

Erik shook the silver cocktail shaker in his hand as the DJ pumped up the zydeco sounds. Sunday nights were popular at the Texas Longhorn Saloon—TLS to the locals—and the bar was jumping along with the dancing.

He dumped ice into a martini glass and poured the sweet and sour artisanal concoction over it. Passing it over to Carina one of the few Mexican female servers, he set to work creating another mixed drink. The tip jar was full, the rest of his co-workers were happy, and he had caught his second wind. It was going to be a good night.

"I love it when the fair is in town," Caddo said sliding his mug of beer down to where Erik was working.

"Business gets better," Erik said.

Caddo's eyes flicked across the dance floor. The mechanical bull ride inside the saloon was crowded with excited patrons. A chubby blonde with a fake ass fell over in a drunken stupor from the ride and the bystanders exploded with claps and whistles.

"And the ladies come out to play and show out."

Caddo wiggled his legs on his seat.

"I hate these fucking bar chairs man," Caddo said looking down at the saddle seat he was perched on.

"Take it up with the manager," Erik quipped placing drinks on another server's waiting tray.

"I should complain to the owner."

"Do that," Erik said waving over one of their bouncers.

"Trey, keep an eye on the buffalo section. There's a couple of guys being extra," Erik said.

Trey, an ex-college cornerback, nodded and carried his bulky frame to the area in question.

"Whatchu drinking, cuz?" Erik asked.

"Fix me one of them girly drinks the women love."

Caddo tossed back the last of the beer.

"Come with me out to the Dixon house tomorrow," Caddo said.

"For what?"

"Be my wingman."

"Nah. I'm chilling tomorrow. Rest day for me."

Caddo sucked on his teeth.

Erik wiped down the bar as a new rush of people came from the dance floor to drink. The majority of the patrons were Black because the saloon itself was Black Cowboy history themed. There was a sprinkle of Mexicans, and as always, a small white crowd that loved being around Blackness. The TLS was definitely the blackest social spot in Mariscal.

"Yo, Blue, do something about these seats man," Caddo complained.

Blue, the saloon manager cruised over with an iPad and a serious face. He stepped behind the bar and had his eyes on the top-shelf liquor taking inventory. His dark brown skin was satin-smooth even with the heavily groomed beard. Blue's large biceps flexed when he swiped a pen across his iPad screen and reached for bottles.

"Take it up with the owner," Blue dismissed as he took stock.

Erik poured more mugs of beer and ignored the audience of women who watched him fix their drinks. TLS was known for good strong liquor and also creative cocktails. Grabbing a jigger, Erik measured out some Blanco Tequila, fresh pink grapefruit juice, and sparkling water. A spritz of agave nectar and lime juice finished off the concoction. He passed it over to Caddo who sipped it from the salt-rimmed highball glass.

"What's this?" Caddo asked.

"A Paloma. Enjoy. Don't forget to leave a tip ya cheap bastard."

Caddo drank it.

"Not bad. Refreshing."

Erik rolled his eyes and started mashing up several citrus fruits with a muddler. He wiggled his feet inside his dark black slip-resistant bar sneakers. The saloon was cowboy-themed, but standing for hours in boots wasn't fun.

"Aye, there he is!" Caddo shouted.

Monroe strolled in pulling off his expensive dark gray suit jacket and handing it to Erik who stuck it behind the bar where his own jacket was. Loosening his tie, Monroe gave a long weighty exhale.

"Double shot of wake-my-ass-up," Monroe said.

"I gotcha," Erik said.

"W'sup, Blue," Monroe called to the manager.

"Finally coming back around here?" Blue said maneuvering around Erik and two other bartenders.

"Won our case today," Monroe said.

Congratulatory shouts went around. Erik poured Monroe a double of Sierra Silver Tequila. His cousin snatched it up and downed it. His big eyes squeezed shut and he raised a hand up to the heavens like he was calling on Jesus.

"Thank you, Sir…can I have another? And start me a motherfucking tab because I'm 'bout to get shitfaced and find me a woman with some fat titties and a fat ass to help me celebrate. Victory!"

"Ah, damn…look at him," Caddo said.

All of the men looked toward the dance floor.

Biandro was out on the dance floor doing the Wifey line dance. Biandro was a capable dancer while sober, but when he started acting extra with it, they all knew something was up. The R&B song used for the dance rattled the speakers with the deep base as over seventy-five people partied with Biandro in the front.

"What's up with him?" Monroe asked.

Erik looked at Caddo and Caddo shook his head.

"What?" Monroe asked.

Erik sat another shot of Tequila in front of him.

"He found out his baby Mama is engaged," Erik said.

Monroe's head tilted and his eyes showed sadness.

"That's…damn…that's rough. He's been in love with that Monette since the moment Ramon was conceived. Nana is going to be pissed," Monroe said.

"She's gonna be at the trail ride too. With her new man," Caddo added.

"Listen. Can we make a pact that we can act like fine young gentleman when we go out there? Bring extra boxes of condoms, get our pull-out games on point?" Monroe pleaded.

"He wants to marry her…been wanting to marry her from day one," Erik said.

"Yeah, but they really don't know each other. They fucked one time and got knocked up. That's not a foundation for a courtship or a marriage," Caddo said.

Erik shook his head and stared at Biandro throwing down to dance away his pain. Eight years of annually going to a trail ride in the hopes of convincing a woman to move back to Texas with him with their son. Eight years of being turned down.

Blue listened in and shook his head too.

"Does she even have feelings for him?" Blue asked.

"It's just weird," Erik said, "he gets Ramon four times a year, and every summer he goes out to North Carolina and they act like a family. I know that nigga hooks up with her when he goes out there with us, but she won't commit to anything. He's a good father…great father…has a good job…stable. I don't know what that woman wants but to go with someone else after all these years of being single and available to him…dog, that's some messed up shit."

"Maybe she just fell in love. Happens all the time. A roll in the sack is fun once a year, but she wants to stay there. He wants to stay here. That's life," Monroe said.

"I don't want to be around when Nana finds out. So y'all let me know when he tells her because I will be AWOL," Caddo said turning away from the dance floor.

Shouts from the opposite direction grabbed their attention. The sound of glass breaking made Erik and Blue leave the bar and run toward the commotion.

Bar fight.

Erik's lip curled up as he watched Trey snatch a young white man up by the collar as another bouncer blocked a mean-mugging young Black man with a cut on his hand.

"Get them outta here!" Blue shouted.

A Black female server tried to clean up the broken glass beer bottles on the table.

"Sorry folks," Blue said to the crowded section as they watched both men get forcibly removed from the premises.

Erik followed the men out to make sure nothing else happened. TLS was a popular spot and folks cut loose because they loved it so much, but nothing killed a business more than rowdy youngins flexing because they couldn't hold their liquor.

"You're supposed to be my friend!" The young Black man kept shouting at the white man.

"I'm tired of your whiny bullshit!" the so-called friend spat back as Trey shoved him forward.

They were almost out of the front door when the Black man sucker-punched the white one in the back of the head. Scuffling began again and the two men lunged for one another scrapping right inside the lobby part of the saloon. The tussling grew more erratic and Erik saw Blue itching to call the cops. The men tumbled out of the double doors and knocked over a woman who was heading in.

"Brandy!" Erik shouted reaching for her hand to help her up.

The shocked look on her face upset Erik as the bouncers handled the two men outside.

"You okay?" he asked handing her the same hat she wore at the fair.

She put it on her head and eyed him.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"We danced at the bandstand the other day. You saved me from someone I was trying to avoid," he said looking deep into those gorgeous eyes again.

"That would be me."

Erik glanced behind the stallion and saw the Tinker Bell he had lunch with earlier.

Kris.

Erik's eyes looked back and forth between them.

"This is my cousin, Kris," Brandy said.

"We meet again," Kris said.

Kris was still wearing her sweatsuit while Brandy had on another pair of poured on jeans and a breast-hugging orange shirt. Seeing them standing next to each other, Erik could see a little family resemblance.

"Sorry about all that brawling. First drinks on me to make up for the rude entrance," he said.

Brandy blessed him with a full smile.

"Any kind of drink we want, or whatever you fix?" Kris asked.

"Whatever you want," Erik said, his eyes still on Brandy.

They followed him back to the bar and he could already see Caddo and Monroe salivating at Brandy.

"I'll have a Moscow Mule," Brandy said.

"I want a Blue Mojito," Kris said browsing through the Sunday drink specials listed on the bar.

"This your regular job?" Brandy asked,

Erik got busy mixing their cocktails as the music and dancing on the floor caught Kris's eye. She was impressed by all the flashy activity and lights going on around them.

"One of many," he said.

Brandy's sloe-eyed gaze stared at her cousin.

"You know him?" she asked Kris.

"Met him fully today with Grandma."

"Wait…so this is the dude she wants you to get with?" Brandy cackled.

"Why are you laughing?" Erik said.

"She kept telling me about her brunch and what she said doesn't quite match up with what I imagined."

"What did you say?" Erik asked Kris.

He passed them both their drinks and grabbed some tip money from off of the bar.

"I told her a bar hump was supposed to be my Prince Charming."

"Bar hump?"

Kris shrugged and Erik pulled the drink out of her hand.

"I was calling stuff how I saw it," Kriss said reaching for the drink she barely got to sip.

"Give that back, it's good!" she fretted.

He sat it back in front of her. Brandy sampled her drink.

"Hmmm, good," Brandy purred.

Erik watched her lips touch the glass again. He leaned in toward Brandy.

"I'm known as the mixologist around here," he said in his best seductive voice.

Kris burst out laughing. Erik turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…carry on," Kris said waving her hand at them and taking a big swallow of her drink.

Monroe cleared his throat and Erik introduced the women to him and Caddo. Erik soon got caught up working the bar as it grew busier and a little more hectic. Blue finished his inventory and walked onto a small stage where he went to the DJ booth on the right of the stage. He spoke to Nathaniel the music maker and was handed a hot mic.

"Good evening. Welcome to Sunday night at TLS!" Blue said.

The crowd on the dance floor stopped dancing and watched him. Nathaniel turned the music down.

"I just had a few quick announcements. Next month is the annual North Carolina Step and Strut Trail ride. Looks like we'll have a huge contingency from Mariscal going this year which is great! You can find more information about it on our website. There will be a chartered bus going so if you are excited about three days of camping, cookouts, horseback riding, and partying with Horse clubs from around the country, please go online and check it out. The bus company will need a fifty-dollar deposit upfront to reserve your seat. As a reminder, Friday and Saturday nights are live music nights with line dance lessons provided by Selena and Duane. I know we have line dances all the time during the week, but Fridays and Saturdays are when we really show out y'all, so come on back soon to shake that rump!"

Erik's eyes stayed on Brandy's as he worked. She bounced in her seat while sipping her drink, and every now and then she would sneak peeks at him. Her nose would crinkle when their eyes met, and he felt sure that he'd have her number by the end of his shift.

"…and finally, a word about the scholarship we're giving away to support our Mariscal Scholars. We'll be having our upcoming bull riding fundraiser and next week we'll be starting our Tips for the Top. I'll let Erik tell you about that. Erik! Get up here. Give it up for the owner of TLS, Erik Stevens!"

"Buck! Buck!" Caddo shouted out.

Monroe made fake airhorn noises with his mouth. Erik wiped his hands on a clean bar cloth as he took in Kris's shocked expression.

"Bar hump, huh?" he said winking at her.

Erik moved through the crowd and climb the steps of the stage. He took the mic from Blue and faced his patrons.

"Next week we'll begin Tips for the Top. Basically, all tips that you give our servers for one week will be donated to the scholarship program. I will personally match any amount we raise. Our servers are amazing and this is their way of supporting the young people in our community who are heading off to college. Many are the first in their family and we want to make sure they have funds that they can use to cover whatever they need. I want to thank everyone in advance for participating. Give as much as you can. Thank you for supporting me and my establishment all these years. Now get that music back on, Nathaniel!"

Erik handed the mic back to the DJ and patted Blue on the back as they both stepped down from the stage. He took his place behind the bar and started taking orders again as Brandy and Kris watched him. It was a bit hectic for thirty minutes with people ordering food from the bar. It would get even more hectic the later it got because Texas was a dry state and folks couldn't buy booze at a regular store on Sundays.

"How late do you stay open?" Brandy asked.

"Two in the morning," Erik said handing a man behind her two uncapped beer bottles.

Erik gave himself a shot of Tequila and Blue gave him a stern look.

"What? I own all this shit."

"At least not in front of the staff," Blue teased heading back to the DJ booth.

"Erik! Hey, Erik!"

Hampton and CJ eased their bodies around the surge of bodies and Erik greeted them and set them up with drinks and finger foods. Before he had a chance to chop it up with them, they were beelining to the dance floor grabbing the hands of women along the way.

"You are one busy guy," Brandy said.

"Try to be," he said, "I'll be off the clock for a break in about twenty minutes. You want to dance or grab a table?"

Kris turned her body away so he could rap to her cousin in peace.

"Yeah, that sounds cool. How long is your break?"

"As long as I want," he teased.

"I'll go look for a table," she said sliding off the saddle seat.

Kris followed her and Erik watched Brandy's backside.

"Hmmm, I hate to see ya leave but I love to watch ya walk away," he mumbled under his breath.

Erik washed his hands and let his bartenders know he was taking a break. He'd been on his feet for six hours already non-stop.

"Go give this to, Biandro," he said handing Monroe a glass of Uncle Nearest whiskey, "help ease his pain. And make sure one of us has his car keys."

"On it," Monroe said.

"You betta get to ya girl before she gets scooped up," Caddo warned before he headed to the dance floor.

Erik took a slow pan of the entire saloon to make sure everything ran smooth. Confident that it felt like a successful Sunday night, he eased up his shoulders and zig-zagged through the dense party atmosphere toward the direction Brandy and Kris went.

Soft fingers slipped around his hand and a familiar warm body pressed up against his.

"Hey, boy."

Erik's eyes slid to his right.

Arletta's hair was piled into a high pigtail that cascaded down her back. Her make-up was immaculate, and the black mesh push-up bustier crop top had the tops of her amazing breasts on display. Tight black paisley print jeans hugged her curves and the open-toed black boots gave her a little bit of height. Farrah and another one of her female friends was with her.

"You never mentioned you owned a bar!" she said snuggling up against his side. Her arm went around his waist and when he was about to say something to her, his eye caught Kris staring at him.

"Bran-…um, we were wondering if you were coming over because we wanted to check out the bull riding," Kris said.

Her quick eye immediately grasped what was up and her dowdy appearance didn't raise any red flags for Arletta.

"Um…go check out the bull, and I'll find y'all later," he said hoping his voice didn't sound chickenshit.

A smirk crossed Kris's lips. She looked Arletta in the eye.

"Hi, I love your outfit."

"Thank you," Arletta said.

"Bull riding," Kris said pointing her fingers in the direction she was headed to.

"Yeah," Erik said.

Kris zipped past them and he caught the faint sound of her laughter floating above the music.

Erik closed his eyes.

He had now entered a circus and had to learn how to juggle fast.


	5. Desperado

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik maneuvers three women at the bar as trouble brews back at the family ranch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frontier Friday is here once more. Enjoy!

"Desperado  
Sitting in a old Monte Carlo  
A man whose heart is hollow, uh  
Take it easy  
I'm not tryna go against you  
Actually, I'm going witcha

Gotta get up out of here and  
You ain't leaving me behind  
I know you won't, 'cause we share common interests  
You need me, there ain't no leaving me behind  
Never, no, no, just want outta here, yeah  
Once I'm gone, ain't no going back"

Rihanna – "Desperado" (Slowed Remix)

Erik moved Arletta to a less congested area of the saloon and blocked her view of where he was headed.

"Surprised to see me?" she asked.

Her fingers slid up his shirt and the flowery smell of her perfume beckoned him closer.

"I'm not hard to find."

"No shit. Google is amazing."

"I'm working right now so I can't really socialize."

"You're the boss, you can do what you want."

"Busy night."

"I see."

She wasn't trying to take any hints from him. His eyes took in her appearance once more and he couldn't help the desire that surged through him. Her fine ass had him under her spell. But he was a greedy man. Always had been.

"I'll hit you up when I have some time. I'm booked and busy for the next couple of days."

"I'm not here to cramp your style. I came to have fun with my girls."

"Cool."

"Get at me when you can."

She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek before brushing past him and heading toward the bar. Crisis averted Erik turned his attention toward the direction Kris headed to be with Brandy. The hot sweaty bodies of patrons closed in around him as he made a path over to the mechanical bull. It was a popular part of his bar, something his grandfather installed the moment he opened TLS in the 70s. It was an old school model, one ran by hand and not pre-programmed. It was the same model of machine his Nana rode when she laid eyes on Pop Pop while bar-hopping with her girlfriends and decided that his grandfather was going to be her husband.

Erik's eyes glanced around the crowd until he saw Brandy's hat and Kris's loud pink sweatsuit.

"Got away, huh?" Kris teased.

Erik ignored her and focused on Brandy who was mesmerized by the bull ride.

"You get on first," Brandy told Kris.

"You," Kris said.

Erik watched them do rock, paper, scissors, and he chuckled at the playful nature of their relationship.

Kris had her rock covered by Brandy's paper and she grumbled as she stepped into the line to ride. Brandy clapped her hands and Erik filled in the space Kris left behind.

"This place is fantastic," she said.

"Where you from?" he asked.

"Silver Spring, Maryland."

"Your family moved out there?"

"My family has always been on the East coast. Kris's mother is from here. We're cousins on her father's side."

"Oh."

"You like owning a bar?"

"It fell into my hands when my grandfather retired. My Dad didn't want it, so I took it over."

"It's poppin'."

"Not always. Made some changes. Expanded the size. Refurbished it. Added live music every weekend. Small concerts. Attracted a younger crowd."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight next month."

"Young."

"You?"

"You're not supposed to ask a woman that."

"Okay, my bad. Forget I asked then."

"Twenty-nine."

"There she goes," he said directing her attention to Kris.

"Go, Kris!'

Brandy waved at her cousin as Kris gripped the saddle horn. Her hand reached out and touched the fake horns on the bull and she stuck out her tongue toward her cousin. The man who ran the bull for the night, Mark, shook back his short locs and waved at Kris to signal he was going to start.

The bull whipped around and Kris squealed before tumbling over the front of the bull's head and landing on her backside. Brandy fell out and Kris jumped up pulling her sweatpants up higher.

"Give her another chance!" Erik called out to Mark.

Kris hopped back on the bull and held onto the saddle horn with both hands. Mark swung her around again and she stayed put. That is until the front of the bull bucked up and she fell over backward landing on her head. The soft mats cushioned her fall. She stood on wobbly feet and walked away from the ride with a fretful look on her face. Erik cackled and she flipped him off.

Brandy took her turn, and she did a little better. Only a little. She lasted about ten seconds longer than Kris before her cowgirl hat flew off and she slid off the bull into a giggling pile of long legs. Kris stood near him watching her cousin get stares from the men surrounding the ride.

"Your cousin single?" Erik asked Kris.

"Yeah. But don't you have-?"

Erik reached out for Brandy's hand and helped her step down from the protective mat.

"That is a fast ride!" Brandy said putting her hat back on her head.

"I'll catch up with y'all in a minute," he said when he saw Arletta sauntering toward the ride with her friends.

Erik made a fast getaway toward the dance floor where Caddo reached out and tapped his arm as he danced with an attractive woman in a cute green jumper.

"Vanessa is out here," Caddo said.

His cousin nodded his head to a sienna-hued beauty wearing booty shorts with gray rose-embellished cowboy boots. Erik's eyes were drawn to the large rose tattoo on her thigh. Her short coffee-colored hair was slicked back. Before Erik could look away, her eyes fell on him as her dance partner, a dark lean muscular man with thick eyebrows and serious eyes pulled her in tight as a slow jam started up. Vanessa pushed away from the man and walked over to Erik. He tugged on his collar and tried to come up with some excuse as to why they just faded. It wasn't like they had officially broken up. They both just stopped calling each other. There wasn't a clear reason. She knew he was made for the streets and didn't bother to fight for him or complain about his abrupt absence from her life. He didn't track her whereabouts when she ignored his calls either. At one time they couldn't be in the same room together without pulling off their clothes, and it just…cooled. Fizzled. She hadn't been to the bar in months and he was curious as to why she came back.

Erik could feel Caddo watching them as he danced near them.

Vanessa held her hand out toward him. The music made her hips move in a seductive roll and he couldn't help himself, clasping her fingers and pulling her in tight against his body.

"Go ahead and ask," she said.

Her Mariscal twang tickled his ears and that slight gap in her front tooth made him grin.

"I wasn't going to ask you anything. I wasn't going to say anything to you."

"Me neither. But here we are."

Erik's eyes darted around to see who was around, but they were surrounded by grinding couples.

"You look good, Vanessa."

"You too."

"Who are you here with?"

"Some co-workers and some friends. They wanted to come here. I tagged along."

Her long nails scratched the back of his neck making him skittish. Her body curved against his brought back sexy memories.

"I don't know what happened to us, Erik. We didn't fight or argue…you didn't cheat…"

"I don't know either."

Vanessa's eyes dropped to his neck and she squeezed his shoulders.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Nah. Vanessa…it's just one of those things. Maybe we just stopped clicking. I don't have a good reason on my end."

She pressed her face against his neck and sighed. He felt bad. She was a pretty woman with a great physique and easy-going nature. But something about her didn't grab him. Something about him didn't grab her either or else she would've been chasing after him or blowing up his phone.

Erik rubbed her back and pulled away from her.

"I have to get back to work," he said.

She jammed her hands in the back pockets of her shorts.

"Pop Pop asked about you," he said.

She smiled.

"Tell him I said hey."

"I will. You don't have to stop coming here because of me, Vanessa. We can still be friends."

She nodded.

"See ya," he said easing away from her.

Erik stalked over to the bar. He hated shit like that. He would prefer a woman to scream or cuss him out. It was easier to walk away when a woman acted out. The cut off could be swift and guilt-free. But Vanessa. Shit. It was just a sad uncomfortable parting that had no ground zero to point to and say "Aha, that was the cause of the uncoupling!"

He didn't know why he said they could still be friends. He was never friends with exes. Perhaps it was a way of being kind. She was welcome to come and go around TLS and he would be nice and pleasant with her, but he had no intentions of being chummy.

Stepping behind the bar he relieved another bartender for her break.

"I'll have a Sex on the Beach."

Arletta leaned her shoulder into the crowded bar space and Erik nodded reaching for a glass to make her order.

"Another Moscow Mule!"

Brandy's excited voice made Erik act cool.

He mixed their drinks, took their money and tips, and focused on other people. Arletta sipped her drink while watching him as Brandy stood near Kris watching the dance floor. Erik thought he could maintain the pretense of being a friendly neighborhood bartender until Vanessa pulled up and asked for a Long Island Ice Tea.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Erik," Vanessa said over the loud din around the bar.

Arletta turned her head to look at Vanessa.

"Don't worry about it. We're good."

"I know this isn't the place to talk about us, so I'll call you later next week. If that's cool."

Vanessa's eyes had a pleading quality to them.

"Sure," he said adding a lemon to the rim of her glass.

Vanessa took her drink and as she turned to leave, she bumped Arletta's shoulder.

"Sorry," Vanessa said walking away.

Erik watched her leave and felt that godawful feeling in his chest again. His eyes turned back to his next order and he felt the heat from Arletta's stare.

"Girlfriend?" she asked.

Erik couldn't tell if she was upset or amused. She held her drink in her hand like she was ready to throw it at him.

"Ex," he grumbled moving on to the next customer.

Arletta took in his facial expression and left the bar with her friends in tow. Blue came back over and leaned against a fake decorative barrel under the liquor shelf.

"We need more staff, Erik," he said gazing at the bar rush.

"How many?" Erik said already calculating costs.

They were doing well. Excellent actually. Another white-owned bar down the street couldn't compete and closed down once they lost their Black clientele when they switched over to a heavily white country western vibe. The one predominantly Mexican club that played Tejano music and did well for years shut down when the owner recently died. No one filled that void and the Latino community was split between another club on the other side of the city that catered to older Mexican boomers, while the younger Mexican club-goers went to white establishments or Erik's place.

He grew smart when he bumped up his Taco Tuesday nights with a local Tejano band and drew in a large Latino mix on that night. What didn't surprise him was the number of Black patrons who loved dancing and listening to Tejano music on those nights. The blending of cultures was amazing. Black folks in Mariscal danced zydeco, Tejano, two-steppin', and everything else. If it was good, Black people participated. TLS had the best music, the best staff, and the best locals. One thing he learned from Nana Rae at the ranch: diversify and open up new revenue streams when you can. It paid off. If Blue thought they needed more staff, he listened. They could afford it.

"Two more servers and another bouncer."

"Another bouncer?"

"Angel gave his two-week notice. He's moving to Houston with his wife. She's about to drop that baby and want's to be around her family."

"Do what you need to do," Erik said cleaning off the counter again.

Kris leaned in over the bar and Erik cocked his head toward her.

"Another drink?" he said.

"No. An application."

"Application?"

"I heard you talking about needing servers."

Kris's eyes were slightly bloodshot from downing strong drinks. Brandy was still sipping her drink and popping her fingers to an old jam from Blackstreet.

"I thought you needed a break," he said.

"I used to wait tables. Plus, I like this place. It'll get me out of the house while I'm here.

"I need full-time help. You're leaving remember?"

"Not for a while. I can guarantee three months. That should give you time to replace me. I'm good. I swear."

"That's the liquor talking," he said.

"No, for real. This is a cool place. Your servers are really good so that tells me that you take care of them."

"It gets crazy here, wilder than this on other nights."

"I'm game."

"Please give her a job," Brandy begged.

"Think about it while I go to the restroom," Kris said hopping down from the bar seat.

Erik watched her wander off to the back. Brandy scooted closer to the bar.

"Please give her a job."

"Why?"

Brandy's sultry eyes glanced toward the direction of the restroom. They both saw Kris walking into the women's room.

"She needs the money. She came out here with her boyfriend to try and save money, but they've been running out of savings."

"Is he looking for a job?"

"He is. Out in California. He has some interviews set up and has to fly out for a few in the next few weeks. L.A. and San Francisco. She's too proud to ask her grandmother or parents for a loan. I came to stay out here to help out, but she's hurting on funds. She's a good person. A good worker."

Brandy's eyes looked soft in the bar lighting.

"What about his people?"

"He doesn't have any. He was an orphan and came up through the system. He's a nice guy but just clueless sometimes. She loves him and they've been together for a long time."

Brandy's lips puckered and she leaned her head back.

Erik turned to look at Blue, but his manager already had an application out and handed it to Brandy.

"Have her fill it out," Blue said.

Brandy took the application and shook her hands with glee.

"Thank you! You won't regret it."

Caddo strolled back to the bar.

"What did you say to Vanessa?" Caddo asked.

"Nothing much—"

"She's over by the pool tables crying."

"Damn, be right back, Blue."

Erik walked away from the bar and kept his eyes open for Vanessa. He spotted her leaned up against a table with her friends.

"Vanessa?" he said.

She looked at his face and her wet eyes blinked out more tears as she hustled away from him.

"Wait a minute…hey…Vanessa…"

He clasped her hand and she jerked back from him.

"I'm okay. Just my drink working its way out of my system."

"This ain't got nothing to do with me then?"

"I told Caddo to leave you alone."

"He's not going to leave a woman crying without trying to help her. You know that."

"I'll be fine. Go back to work."

"She's not fine. She's been miserable all night."

One of Vanessa's friends, Savannah, held a hand on her thin hip as she cut her eyes at Erik.

"I thought we were cool," Erik said.

"Tuh. You believed her?" Savannah spat out.

"Go back to the bar, Erik," Vanessa said waving her hand at him.

"You sure? I'm here. We can talk more if you want—"

"This place is busy. I'll be fine…you know what? Let's go…"

Vanessa stalked past him and her friends followed.

"Dick," Savannah hissed as she walked around him.

"Wasn't worth me coming over here," he mumbled to himself.

Fucking women.

Back at the bar, Kris was busy filling out the application. When she saw his face, she paused with her writing.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Will be."

He glanced at her hand. She was filling out her past work experience. Brandy sat next to her all bubbly and supportive. Erik finished out his shift as Blue spoke to Kris at the bar. He clocked out of the register and poured himself a large glass of Henny. He needed to smoke but his cigars were out in his truck. Vanessa messed up his whole Sunday vibe. If she was crying over him, then she felt more about him than she had led him to believe. The situation drained him. He just wanted a fun night before a day of rest greeted him on Monday.

Arletta was making a beeline for him and Erik walked in the opposite direction toward the front doors. He needed air. Space to breathe. Once he was outside, he walked to the side where his assigned parking waited for him. Hopping into his truck, he started it up and drove down the block just to have a moment to himself.

Parking in a grocery store parking lot, he pulled a cigar from his glove compartment and lit it up. Taking a long drag he blew a thick stream of smoke out of his window. He reached for his cell and called Vanessa. His call went straight to voicemail.

"Vanessa…it's me. Call me back so we can talk. I'll be home soon, so anytime you want to hit me up…"

He hung up and smoked his cigar in peace.

###

Erik awoke to shouts outside of his house.

Rolling out of bed in his boxer briefs, he padded to the front door and opened it. His grandparents were in their big truck and a few of their ranch hands were with them in the back of the cab.

"What's going on?" Erik shouted.

"Got a call about some dead calves," Nana Rae yelled back.

"Wait for me."

Erik went back into his house and threw on jeans and work boots. He didn't bother to throw on a shirt as he ran out and leaped onto the bed of the truck. He endured a jostled ride across wide-open land. Within twenty minutes they arrived next to Biandro's truck and two more ranch hands with a vehicle.

Erik hopped out of the truck and he joined the others as they looked down at the ripped-up carcasses of two young calves. Flies buzzed around the open flesh and the odor of death was heavy. He bent down and touched the torn throat of the smaller animal. The body and blood were cool. His eyes caught sight of tracks leading away from the remains.

"Big cougar," Erik said.

He followed the tracks for over a hundred yards until he found semi-dried cougar scat.

"Fuck," Nana Rae uttered.

She had her rifle with the scope out ready to blast the unwanted killer.

"It moved onto our property. I was hoping the Floyd's trapped that thing like they said they would."

"It's too damn close. We'll need to set traps ourselves," Biandro said as he stepped next to Erik.

"We just branded these too," Nana Rae said.

She touched both animals and closed her eyes.

"Poor little things. Got separated from the herd," she muttered, "the damn thing didn't need to take two."

"Want us to patrol tonight, Nana?" Erik asked.

She stood up and wiped her hands.

"We can do it in rotations. I was hoping that the scat sightings would be it. I prayed that thing was just passing through."

"It's gotten comfortable now," Pop Pop said.

His keen eyes stared out at the horizon and Nana Rae moved next to him. Erik's grandfather threw an arm around her shoulder.

"We'll find it," he said to her.

Erik and Biandro lifted the dead calves onto the back of Nana's truck with the help of the other ranch hands.

"We'll take a quick sweep now," Biandro said.

Erik hopped into his cousin's truck and they drove off in the direction that the cougar tracks faded keeping their eyes wide open.

"You not hungover?" Erik asked.

"I'm good. Didn't really drink that much."

"Monroe told us about Monette."

Biandro nodded but kept his eyes on the land.

"Sorry man."

"Don't be. I plan on winning her over for good this year."

"Her new man is going to be out there. Don't start no shit—"

"Why not? You start shit all the time over bitches that you don't even love—"

"I'm just saying—"

"You ain't saying shit to me. You have no right to talk to me about Monette. I saw how you did Vanessa."

"I didn't do anything—"

"Exactly. Cuz you don't care. I love Monette. She loves me."

"Keep telling yourself that—"

Biandro slammed on the breaks and Erik almost fell onto the dashboard bashing his head without his seatbelt on. His cousin shoved his finger in his face.

"You and Caddo…Monroe too…y'all make jokes and play with women. I don't. You don't know what real love is boy. You don't know what it's like to want something so bad that you can taste it every fucking day. I can't have some other man raising my son—"

"Okay Biandro…damn…calm down."

Erik pushed his cousin's finger away from his face. Biandro turned to face the windshield and his eyes welled up. He struck the steering wheel several times before he dropped his head on the wheel and wept.

"Biandro…shit…"

Erik reached out and rubbed his cousin's back. Biandro pushed back from the steering wheel and covered his eyes with his right hand.

"I have carried that woman in my heart all this time…"

Biandro struck the steering wheel again.

"You'll find someone new—"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Erik turned away from Biandro.

His cousin opened the driver's side door and jumped out. He walked away from the truck and squatted down covering his face. Erik stepped out of the truck and crept over to Biandro.

"I don't know what to say to you that will make you feel better, cuz—"

Biandro bolted up.

"I hope you get your heart broken. I hope you meet a woman who just drags you the way you deserve. All of you. Y'all never take shit seriously. I feel sorry for anyone who deals with your shallow ass."

Biandro stormed back to the truck.

Erik stood rooted where he was feeling ashamed of himself and bad for his cousin. But something in the way Biandro spoke to him made it feel like he had delivered a curse upon him.

"Let's go!" Biandro shouted.

Erik walked around to the passenger side and kept his mouth shut the rest of the ride searching for any more signs of the cougar.


	6. Downers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris becomes intrigued with the Stevens family after accepting a job at the saloon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Another chapter so soon? I was on a roll and decided not to wait. Had to make some plot switcharoos once I decided to turn this into a possible series.

"Stuck inside a space  
I have created for myself  
To be 'round no one else  
I'm working on my spells  
To get me out here

Oh, yeah, your words are wisdom  
Oh, yeah, you keep on giving  
But nah, there's no forgiving  
And, yeah, I'm over thinking  
Some days I am just sinking  
Static, nah, I ain't driven  
Talking, but I ain't listening"

Greentea Peng – "Downers"

Kris Montana had sat in her grandmother's old white house that had no sidewalk in front of it and pressed her knees together wishing she were anywhere else but there. The home sat on bricks to protect it from those scary Texas floods that rose up occasionally and she wished she had stayed in Georgetown because the words coming from Granny May's mouth were tiresome. The love she felt for the woman seemed to drain down into a puddle around her feet as her maternal grandmother went on and on about Erik Stevens.

"If he's all that, why isn't he snatched up already?" Kris asked feeling smug as her Granny got really quiet.

"Aren't men allowed to be choosey like us women-folk, huh?"

"Sounds a little suspect to me."

"He's only twenty-seven and has plenty of time to pick and choose. I want you to be among the pickings."

"I have a boyfriend."

"Hmmph."

Granny May sat back in the smoky gray parlor chair sitting next to the old wide-backed TV across from Kris. The woman had no idea that her boyfriend, Jordan, was at the movies killing time until Kris texted him that it was safe to drive back with her car. He had flown into Mariscal's regional airport using up a lot of their combined savings. Jordan had been out of work for nine months since the sex scandal of the Congressman he worked for broke out. They had been so excited about Jordan having a government job and spent a lot of his salary eating good food and taking trips to the Caribbean together that they weren't prepared for the bottom falling out.

Jordan's former boss had become a Washington pariah and it crippled Jordan's job-hunting efforts. Their checking accounts ran low, and then their savings kept them barely afloat. When Granny May reached out and asked Kris to visit her, she took advantage of her grandmother's offer to have an extended stay since it also included a rent-free house. The property belonged to her Granny May and had been paid off fifteen years ago and used as a rental for extra income. The most recent tenants had moved away after three years and Granny May wasn't in a rush to invest money to fix it up for a new tenant. She needed someone to look after it since she lived in her big house way across town. None of the relatives who still lived in Mariscal wanted to live in it since it was in an older run-down neighborhood.

Kris's memories of the house had been happy ones. An aunt had lived there when Kris was a little girl, so she knew the property inside and out, and she liked the neighborhood, even though the Black strivers of long ago had moved on up and out leaving behind those who piecemealed their lives day by day. It was known as the rough part of Mariscal, but the moment Kris stepped inside of it on her return, it felt like home. A real home. A small reminder of country living within a growing city. The neighbors still rode horses up and down the street like they were bicycles in these parts. Being relatively close to the border of Louisiana, Mariscal had all the flavors of the south that she loved: food, music, and thick blackness that permeated everything. Even though she moved around the DMV and was surrounded by Black folks back east, that borderline richness of the deep south and the myth of the expansive west was an anchoring type of cultural richness that she could find nowhere else.

Her chest had been tight and her stomach even tighter struggling to live back east with Jordan when life took a downturn. But getting back to Texas and stepping off of that plane allowed her to breathe. All she had to worry about was food and keeping the lights on. When her cousin Brandy flew out to stay with her for an extended vacation, it helped ease the tension she was feeling with Jordan. He was in a depressed funk and spent days in bed while Brandy galivanted around with Kris having fun and rediscovering the delights of Mariscal. Her cousin came from money and lavished it on Kris by buying food and paying for her internet service three months in advance. She also covered the gas they used to drive in Kris's car.

The year before during the Christmas holiday, Kris flew out with her parents to visit Granny May, and Erik was pointed out to her at a church program, but she wasn't really looking and a planned meet-up didn't happen. The first weekend she arrived in Mariscal after her final move, there was another scheduled meet-up, but she couldn't remember what the excuse was that Erik gave because she only had dinner with Granny May and Miss Rae at a Mexican restaurant.

When she tried to get Erik's attention at the fair, he was oblivious to her and she lost him in a crowd of line dancers. She decided it was best to show up at The Willow and eat a good buffet meal and just…endure. Living rent-free in a house and not having to pay for decent food was the least she could do to show her appreciation.

"I promise you will enjoy everything," Granny May said.

Kris dressed in her most comfortable attire, not even bothering to get gussied up. She sat in the restaurant hoping Erik would forget to show up, or call and say he had something better to do.

But no.

He strolled in and she could tell by his face as he approached their table that he was faking the funk too. He was polite to Granny May and had the decency to look her in the eye when he said hello. She finally had the opportunity to look him fully in the face. He was good-looking. An infectious smile lit up his face and made his eyes crinkle whenever he was amused. He had soft dimples and a nice jawline with an incoming beard that she wasn't so sure was going to make it.

When Granny and Miss Rae led them over to get their food, she became direct with him about her intentions and he went along with it. She was grateful, but then he started acting like he was really interested in what she had to say about her studies and her life plans.

Those eyes that had looked bored and stand-offish in the beginning were shiny in front of her. And he was smiling an awful lot.

He smiled a lot more when she hung out with Brandy at his bar.

Kris felt like Erik wanted to flick her on her forehead when she found out he owned the place. She sat at the bar drinking a well-made cocktail and suffering second-hand embarrassment watching him try to mack on her cousin. It was so damn corny. She laughed at him a lot that night and she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that women were falling for that shit. The man was attractive…well kind of fine when he added the dimples and the attentiveness, but she thought for sure they could look beyond all the overt flirting he did and see that he was just trying to get laid and move on to the next. But woman after woman stood at that bar and melted when he spoke to them or even looked their way. Even her own cousin fell for his practiced charm.

Kris thought she would go into cringe hell when some curvy woman with perfect tits up to her throat wrapped her arms around him when he came looking for them. She saw guilt on his face and for a moment she thought the woman was his girlfriend. But then she watched him with another woman who Blue said was his girlfriend…or ex-girlfriend. He danced close and slow with her and the way they moved together Kris knew that was his woman. Or maybe not.

It was confusing watching him at the bar. She expected world war three to pop off when the curvy woman, the dancing woman, and her own cousin stood at the bar interacting with him at the same time. That was when the manager Blue started talking about hiring people. Kris leaned in to hear more and took her chance. Asked for an application.

When she returned from the restroom she filled it out and set up an interview time for the next day.

Fixing her hair in a tighter than normal bun and pulling down little sprigs on her forehead, Kris wore her best puffy beige blouse and her black slacks with cute black pumps. She was a bit top-heavy for her slender frame and used certain styles and cuts of clothing to camouflage her larger breasts.

"You look like an usher at a funeral," Jordan said watching her from the bed.

"Thanks a lot," she said staring at herself in the big oval mirror on the old vanity dresser in the big bedroom they shared.

Brandy stayed in the little bedroom next to it.

"That place is supposed to entice customers to drink and party. You should wear something that gives that vibe."

He sat up and watched her apply lipstick.

"This is professional," she said.

"Are you sure you want to work at a bar?"

"You should see this place. It's not a bar. It's an experience. It's like being at the fair, but just grown folks. I used to think places like that existed in movies, but there's an energy there that is crazy. You know they pay their servers eighteen dollars an hour? And they make tons in tips. Plus, quarterly bonuses."

"Is this your next career move?"

She turned around and looked at Jordan.

He was all freckles and ruddy brown skin. His perfectly symmetrical face gave him an aristocratic appearance. His body was chiseled and he was well over six feet in height. His dark sandy curls were in need of a haircut, but he wanted to wait until it was time for him to fly out to California. They were saving every penny so lineups had to wait until they were absolutely necessary.

"It's good money without a lot of intensive labor. They're looking for another server and a bouncer. You should apply."

"When I get to California, I will have a job that will allow you to work on getting your Ph.D."

"I'm not thinking about any more school right now. I want to find a job out there too. Save up some money and get us back on track."

"It's going to happen."

"From your mouth to God's ears."

She gazed at his face with a little more focus.

"Jordan, I'm serious…you should apply for a job there. You have the height and build for a good bouncer if you don't want to wait tables."

Kris saw Jordan's eyes narrow. Whenever she mentioned him getting a temporary job, he grew antsy and a bit churlish.

"No one knows you here, so you don't have to worry about being embarrassed…"

Those were the wrong words.

Jordan pushed back the covers and stepped out of bed. He tightened the drawstrings on his light blue pajama bottoms and left the room. She heard him go into the bathroom.

Him and his fucking pride.

Jordan was always worried about looking like a failure. Coming from an impoverished background and institutions that cared for him until he reached college-age, he was terrified of losing in life. When they met in college, she was smitten with him because he reminded her of Malcolm X. The height, the lanky body, the ginger hair, and light reddish-brown skin. The bold attitude about what a Black man should do in life. It was a watered-down version of Hotep that she could tolerate, and once he grew older and his body filled out, his confidence grew and he began to look beyond his own navel. She was in love with him right from the beginning and rooted for him to do more than what was expected of his background. With her by his side, he wasn't alone in the world. They studied together. Made the Dean's list together. Sitting up on long weekend nights, they made plans to have successful careers and travel the world together.

When Jordan became a White House page, they felt sure of their future. She went on to Grad school and he went on to pursue the beginning of a potential political career. Then a certain misogynist decided to sleep with not one but two pages…in his government office. Jordan found himself falling into ruin before life even began. They had been foolish spending thousands of dollars in ten months believing more would come eventually after scrimping and pooling resources for so many years as undergrads.

So now they were in Texas mooching off of her grandmother's blessing at being able to afford and pay off a house they could bum around in until they found some luck in California. She had to watch Jordan act butthurt and annoyed whenever she brought up him contributing something that wasn't the vision he had for himself or her.

Kris stared at her face in the mirror. She looked prim and proper. He was right. She did look like an usher for a funeral. Too late to change that. She grabbed her purse and her car keys. Brandy was in the living room eating a big bowl of cereal and bundled up under a ton of blankets. Her eyes were still red from the night before.

"I thought you were coming with me."

Brandy closed her eyes.

"Don't shout."

"I wasn't shouting."

"Your voice is so loud and my head hurts really bad."

"Jordan is in one of his moods so avoid him."

Brandy rolled her eyes.

"I'm not speaking to him. I'm too hungover."

Jordan left the restroom and stomped his way back into the bedroom and shut the door.

"Pissy," Brandy said.

"I suggested he apply for a job at the bar with me."

"No you didn't."

"I did."

Brandy sat up.

"You finally told that bum to make some money."

"Hey. He's not a bum."

"He's living off of you."

"No he's not. We share our resources."

Brandy rolled her eyes.

"Listen, when I was in grad school, he held me down for two years. I can carry him a little bit when he's down on his luck. It hasn't even been a year."

"If you say so."

"Please don't make him feel bad. He's depressed but he's spent every waking moment looking for work and making contacts and following up on referrals since he's been here. That's a full-time job already."

"Put your cape down. I won't bust his balls."

Kris raised her eyebrow at Brandy and threw an agitated hand on her hip.

"Brandy…please. Be kind to him."

"I'm just going to lay on this couch and mind my own business."

Brandy rose up with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Do me a favor though…if Erik is there, could you give him my phone number?"

"I thought you gave it to him already," Kris sighed.

"He left before I had a chance to give it to him."

"Maybe he didn't want it."

"He wants it. Trust me."

"You like him?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Yeah. Why? Didn't you notice a couple of women he was close to there?"

"Girl, a man that fine is going to have thirsty birds around him."

"What does that make you?"

Brandy threw a small couch pillow at Kris's head.

"He was into me."

"But what makes him attractive to you? Besides the surface level looks and stuff? You weren't with him long enough to really get to know him."

"Surface level stuff can tell you a lot. He's well-groomed and in shape so he takes the time to care for himself and his body. His fingernails were extremely clean too. He owns his own business so he knows how to handle great responsibility and it tells me he has discipline…and a decent income. According to you, his grandmother adores him and he spends time with his elders quite a bit. What's not to like? I'm not looking for a man who has potential. He's already a success, at a young age too, so I know he can only improve as he gets older. Did you know that his family has roots in this city for generations and they are well-respected? I googled him last night when I got back here."

"Isn't that kind of stalkerish?"

"Are you kidding? You haven't looked into his family background? They have a hand in everything around Mariscal. Did you know they have a big ass ranch?"

"I heard his grandmother did some farming—"

"Farming? Kris, they make big money in the all-natural beef business. Artisanal shit... steaks, ribs, gourmet beef jerky. They sell meat online and get this…Erik raises fancy horses. Do you see why women flock to him and that bar? I'm not trying to be a gold digger, but that man has it all, and if you're too stupid to try and snatch him up with Granny May's help and his grandmother's blessing…then you are a new school fool, Sis. I'm going for it."

"What happened to romance and taking the time to know a person and really liking them first based on mutual interests?"

"In this economy? In this country? Are you joking?"

Kris checked her watch. She was going to be late if she didn't leave right away.

"Wish me luck," she said rushing out of the house.

###

Blue Downing looked over Kris's application as she sat across from him inside the Manager's office in TLS. She sat in her seat with her hands on her lap trying not to sweat, but she could feel her rayon blouse sticking to her back. There was air conditioning inside the building but Kris was extra nervous because Blue had a face that one didn't mess with.

The man was extremely good-looking and prone to having long periods of silence as he interviewed her. There were about twenty other people waiting out in the bar sitting in booths awaiting their chance to snag a job.

"What makes you think you'd be a good fit here? The only serving experience you've had is at an ice cream parlor five years ago. This place is fast-paced and you'll have to deal with customers that are rowdier than birthday parties for grade-schoolers," he said.

"Have you ever had to juggle the needs of thirty picky ten-year-olds at one time along with their fussy parents? Dealing with drunk adults is way easier, I promise you that."

Blue chuckled and put down her application on top of her extensive CV.

"I'm a history expert and my thing is Black migration in the West. You have all kinds of framed photos and posters of historical events and people. I watched customers ask your servers questions about some of the pictures on the walls, and even some of the statues you have around here and they couldn't answer them. I could. Not only would I bring excellent table and bottle service, but I can razzle-dazzle your customers with all the cool stuff you have displayed here. Black Cowboys, frontier history, even the great cattle trails from Texas to Kansas. Did you know that one of Erik Steven's grandparents was one of the people that helped put down the tracks that paved the way for the railroads to cross through here opening up the West? You should have Black railroad history in here too."

Blue folded his hands under his chin.

"I didn't know that," he said.

"If you wanted, I could give little tours around the bar and show off all that stuff. They do that at this restaurant in New Orleans and people love it. This place is big enough to have little group walks like that, or a little drinking tour…I mean, if that's something you'd be interested in."

"You really want to work here?"

"I need a job. My only request is that I have the third weekend in July off. I have a pre-arranged event to go to with my grandmother."

"Let me guess, the Step and Strut in North Carolina."

"Yes."

Blue looked over her paperwork again.

"I need this job."

Blue stuck her application and CV in the pile of applications on the corner of his desk. Kris leaned forward to plead her case.

"I know there are a bunch of people out there who want this gig. None of them will be as valuable as me to your—"

The office door opened and Erik stepped in with one of the female servers.

"Got a little backlog out here, man," Erik said.

He walked over to a file cabinet and pulled out a folder. Handing it to the server he finally noticed Kris sitting in the chair. He did a double-take. She gave a small grin.

"You were serious," he said dismissing the server from the room.

He dropped himself down into a roller chair near a two-way window that allowed him to see into the main floor of the bar.

"I was," she said.

Erik glanced over at Blue.

"She qualified?"

"Hardly, but she does have some interesting ideas that we may want to consider," Blue said giving her a broad smile.

Erik studied her face and Kris felt like he was looking deep into her soul with his long gaze.

"Let her have it," Erik said.

"I still have other considerations—"

"Nah. Give it to her. If my grandmother finds out I denied her employment I'll never hear the end of it at the house. If she don't work out, there's plenty to choose from obviously."

Blue sat back in his seat.

"Alright. It's on you," Blue quipped separating Kris's application from the stack.

"Thanks!" she said.

"Finish up your HR stuff and have Greg give you some work shirts before you leave. When can you start?"

"As soon as you need," she said.

Erik nodded and stood up.

"Wait, before you leave, can I have your phone number?" she said.

Erik's eyebrows twitched and his lips quirked up. Blue's face even showed some surprise. Kris jumped up and held out her cell phone.

"That's not what I meant, I meant to say can I give you Brandy's phone number. She asked me to pass it to you if I saw you here."

Erik gave a quick glance to Blue and the man hung his head shaking it. She watched her new boss reach into his office desk and pull out a dark brown wallet. He slipped his fingers into the billfold section and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and slid it across the metal desk to Erik.

"Thank you," Erik said tucking the money in the back pocket of his jeans.

Kris stared at them both.

"What was that?" Kris asked.

"Give me the number," Erik said holding up his cell.

Kris glanced at her phone and read off Brandy's digits for him.

"Thanks," he said.

He left the room and Kris gave Blue a look.

"You had a bet with him about my cousin's phone number?"

Blue pulled out some other forms from a black plastic file tray next to the applications.

"Do you have two forms of ID on you?"

She pulled out her driver's license and social security card and handed them to him. He turned around in his swivel seat and made copies on a small jet printer perched on another work desk. She completed the rest of the paperwork needed and he called someone on his landline to retrieve her.

A mixed Black man with copper-brown skin walked in.

"Greg, this is Kris. She's going to be one of the new servers here. Can you give her three work shirts and show her the dress-code?"

"Sure," Greg said.

Kris followed Greg out of the office as another Black woman walked in to meet with Blue.

"Welcome aboard," Greg said.

"Thanks."

They walked over to the front of the bar where a small gift shop room was set up. Kris didn't have time to check it out when she first came to the bar the night before, but now she could see how extensive it was selling all kinds of souvenirs with the TLS logo all over it.

Mugs, shot glasses, key chains, magnets, lighters, baseball caps, cowboy hats, Caddo Ranch Beef Jerky, t-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, Caddo Ranch Barbecue Sauce, Caddo Ranch Dry Rub, Gumbo seasoning…it had something for everyone.

Above the register was an amazing old black and white photo of Rae Stevens with a shotgun in her hand.

"Where was that taken?" Kris asked.

"That's over on the Caddo Ranch. That's Erik's Grandmother in 1973 I think. She was chasing off cattle rustlers on her property and the local sheriff came to arrest her for shooting one in the butt. So she threatened to shoot the sheriff if he came on her land. That photo was in a newspaper."

"I love it,"

"She's quite a character. You'll meet her in here."

Kris kept her mouth shut about knowing her already.

"What size shirt do you wear?" Greg asked.

"Large," she said.

Greg's eyes traced over her frame.

"Really?" he said.

"Is it one hundred percent cotton?"

"Fifty-fifty."

"Large."

"V-Neck or scoop neck?"

Although most of her pants were fitted for medium and smaller sizes, her breasts forced her to size up. She was shaped like a P and felt a little self-conscious with Greg.

"Can I get one of each?"

"Sure. I'll give you two V's and 1 scoop neck."

Kris took the shirts and Greg showed her in an order book behind the gift shop cash register pictures of the types of jeans and denim skirts the staff could wear. Dark blue denim was a must, cowboy boots were optional, but most of the staff wore them to look cute. Cowboy hats were a must on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights and were optional other nights.

"We have live bands on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. You'll learn a couple of server dances-"

"What? Server dances?"

"We do a couple of routines throughout those nights. Customers love that stuff and they leave huge tips on those days. Management likes it so that's what we do."

"Sounds corny."

"I thought so at first when I first started here, but the gag is, we all love doing it! We actually compete to outdance each other!"

Greg put her shirts in a TLS gift bag and gave her a tour of one side of the bar from top to bottom while avoiding the side where people were still waiting to get a job. As she was shown how the mechanical bull machine worked, the early shift staff began to trickle in for a noon opening.

Kris caught sight of Erik talking to a Latina bartender who Kris remembered made a mean Long Island Ice Tea. As he talked to his employee, his eyes wandered over to where she was and she felt a bit of annoyance build up in her chest. The bet he made with Blue just irked her and made her think that Brandy was wasting her time chasing after a guy like that. Erik turned back to the bartender and Kris had to admit to herself as she stared at his profile, the man was eye candy.

She had googled his background as she waited to be interviewed and saw pages of pictures of him and his family. He never took a bad photo. Kris found herself being more intrigued with the Stevens family when she saw the recent court battles they were facing with other ranchers about property lines and wild horses not being taken care of by the Bureau of Land Management. She stumbled across the railroad history right before she walked in to meet with Blue. Erik's bloodline was so rich and detailed that she was surprised Granny May didn't mention any of it. Especially the background of Miss Rae Stevens the matriarch. Kris felt like she could write a whole book about Rae Stevens alone.

Looking around the saloon, taking all of it in, Kris decided that this was the perfect place to slowly get to know about the Stevens family.

"Can you start tonight? Monday is a slow night usually, so it'll be easier for me to break you in," Greg said.

"Yeah, I can start tonight."

Her eyes went back to Erik.

Would he be working?


	7. Girls Don't Always Sing about Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris gets used to the new job at Erik's bar and helps Brandy sort out some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to bust out chapters to tide everyone over so I can finally write my Killmonger one shot.

"We'll go to school and then get married and start a family  
And they'll go to school and then get married and start a family  
The cycle continues  
When we don't question what we're into

Girl's don't always sing about boys  
Even though it's what sells and what's relatable  
I mean, who doesn't wanna cry  
To a song about getting your heart broke?  
'Cause she'll sing all the words that you never spoke  
Or couldn't"

Ego Ella May – "Girls Don't Always Sing About Boys"

The Texas Longhorn Saloon was a place that would overstimulate most people.

Kris's first night of work was spent shadowing Greg the head server. Despite the fact that Monday was supposed to be their slow night, she found it very busy with their loyal clientele. The space inside had some type of feng shui circular pattern to it. The moment people stepped inside they were persuaded to immediately check out the gift shop to the left, or even spend time in the video game room where there were shooting games with Zombie and Western themes as well as racecar and motorcycle games and an old school foosball table and an air hockey table.

Once customers were past the entrance, they were faced with the long busy bar that split the place in half. To the left were booth seating and round stationary tables with bar stools that overlooked the large dancefloor and stage. Continuing around the left side was the mechanical bull station and pool tables, and curving around past more booths and heading to the other side of the building were two arcade machine punching bags that were in a corner. Circling past the punching machines there was more booth seating across from the site kitchen and the manager's office. Flatscreen TVs proliferated throughout with installed cameras that recorded and broadcasted the dancing and whatever live acts that performed on the stage. All the senses were stimulated: sight, sound, taste, and touch. It was bright and loud and decorated with so much Black art and history. She was made to eat food items they sold from the kitchen so she would know what things tasted like. TLS specialized in finger foods only, so every food menu item was made to soak up liquor. Sliders—both BBQ pulled pork and beef. Street tacos. Small quesadillas. Homemade corn chips with salsa and guacamole. Boneless wings with seven different sauces. Fried pickles and fried tomatoes. Stuffed potato poppers. Deep-fried beer-battered onion rings. Riblets. Texas cheese fries. With or without carne asada.

Kris became full after an hour sampling everything, and once the place grew busier, she shadowed Greg taking table orders. She felt a little odd wearing her slacks and blouse, but the patrons paid her no mind. They were amused and entertained by Greg. The hospitality displayed by all the servers on shift her first night was impressive. They all had their various quirks and personalities and most had worked there for many years.

"Why did your last two servers quit?" Kris asked.

"Erin got married and moved to Arizona, and Pauletta just had a baby…with some complications so she quit to focus on her health."

Blue hired another young man that wouldn't start until Friday to give his previous job some notice. They were still on the hunt for a decent bouncer. During a break, Kris texted Jordan and told him to think about the bouncer position. She took time to thoroughly look over as many of the historic photos as she could before Greg passed her over to the bar so she could see where to grab ice-cold bottled beer and learn how to use the beer taps. It was a lot to memorize, but she was comfortable following everyone's lead.

She was surprised to discover there was an outdoor patio that was used mainly for cigar smokers. She saw a few people smoking regular cigarettes, but the strongest tobacco scent was from the thick brown rolls she saw a lot of Black men smoking near heat lamps. The hours ticked by relatively fast and by seven she was released. Erik didn't come in at all after his initial showing that morning. Greg allowed her to take home a doggy bag of pork sliders for Jordan and Brandy.

Her cousin was still lying on the couch when she came home, although she was facing a different direction. She had one less blanket wrapped around her in the summer evening warmth.

"How was it?" Brandy asked sitting up.

Kris handed her a small beige carton from the doggy bag.

"Good. I'll follow another waiter tomorrow for training and I think by Wednesday they will release me to the wild with just two tables of my own and another server watching me. The menu was easy to learn. I just have to get used to the cocktails they make there."

The door to her bedroom was still closed.

"Was he…?"

"Slept all day. I heard him on his laptop for a couple of hours around two, but that was it."

Kris kicked off her heels by the couch and walked to the bedroom door. Pressing an ear to it she heard nothing.

"Jordan?"

Stepping into the room, she could see her boyfriend curled in a ball on his side of the bed facing the door. He stirred when he heard her voice.

"Brought you something to eat," she said holding up the bag.

He sat up and she plopped down next to him.

"BBQ sliders. They're delish," she encouraged.

He turned on the standing lamp next to the bed and she could see the bags under his eyes. He wasn't resting well. She reached over and stroked his hair.

"Tough day?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the food."

He opened the bag and reached inside the carton pulling out a sauce-heavy slider. The bun was so soft she could see his fingers sinking down on it. He gobbled up all three within a few minutes and she handed him two wet naps from within the bag.

"I spent a few hours sending out more applications. Had a bad headache earlier."

His eyes dropped down to his chest.

"We'll be okay, baby. We have a roof over our heads and a bed to sleep in," she said.

Jordan nodded and tossed the used wet naps into the bag. He crumpled it up and held it in his hands.

"How was the new job?"

"It was actually fun. I was telling Brandy that the menu is easy. I just have to learn how to use the touchscreen registers faster with the entry codes and stuff. The staff is cool. I had to eat a lot of food."

"Those sliders were tasty."

"I know. I love their quesadillas and riblets."

Jordan leaned over and placed the crumpled bag on the nightstand.

"Did you see my text?"

Jordan reached for his cell and swiped it.

"They're still looking for a bouncer."

She expected him to blow it off, but his eyes softened.

"Is it full-time?"

"No, they need someone really for the nights they have live music. Less than thirty hours. The pay is really good, Jordan. We could save so much together. Think about it."

"I will."

"Don't take too long though."

She kissed his cheek and grabbed the bag.

Brandy met her in the kitchen as she rinsed her hands in the sink.

"Can you do a reading for me?" Brandy asked.

"For what?"

"A little speculation about my prospects."

"Did Erik call you?"

"He did."

The smirk on Brandy's face was almost lascivious.

"What did he say?"

"He asked me out."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. I didn't answer him. Just let him leave a message on my voicemail. Can't be too eager. Giving him my number was just an opening to let him know I was interested. I'm not trying to be like that other chick at the bar."

"Which one?"

Brandy waved her hand at Kris.

"Can you do it for me?"

"Let me power down for a minute," Kris said.

She returned to her room and grabbed a change of clothes. Jordan was back under the covers and she hoped he could get some real rest now that he had food in his belly. His depression had him skipping meals and he was growing a bit thin.

A quick shower had her feeling as right as rain and she grabbed her deck of tarot cards from a built-in wall cabinet in the living room. She opened the deck and shuffled seventy-eight cards while she sat crisscrossed on the floor across from Brandy.

"Where's the incense and candles?" Brandy asked.

"That's for paying customers."

"I'll pay you."

"For you, I'll do twenty minutes for twenty-five dollars."

"Fine."

Kris placed the cards down on the slick tabletop and went into the same wall cabinet to retrieve a purple candle and a white candle that she anointed with divine oils and incantations of protection that she learned from her mother and Granny May. She palmed a small oval-shaped amethyst crystal and brought it to the table with the candles and a green lighter.

"I don't have any more incense."

Brandy's lip curled.

"The reading will still be accurate without it."

Kris removed her wristwatch and slipped it in her pocket and she made sure that Brandy turned off her cell phone that she kept near her hip. Lighting the candles, Kris took time to push all outside thoughts from her mind. Her eyes focused on the candlelight of the white candle and she became conscious of her breathing. When she felt that she was centered, she stared up at her cousin's eyes.

"What would you like to ask?"

"Is Erik worth my time?"

"Girl, I could tell you that for free."

"I'm serious, Kris. I would like clarification…some insight."

"Date him. Find out from real-world experience."

"I don't want to waste good energy if I can just take a shortcut."

Kris cleared the deck by shuffling it three times and cutting it three times. She re-ordered the cards facedown in three piles going for a simple three-card spread. Concentrating on the question, Kris visualized Erik Stevens in her brain. Good-looking. Cocky. Man-whore.

Brandy's eyes stared down at Kris's three piles.

Would they be a good fit? Could there be a love connection?

Kris thought of Erik and Brandy's interaction at the bar. It was flirty and full of the typical banter one would find with two people maneuvering to hook up. All surface, no substance. Opening up her spirit and her intuitive powers, Kris allowed her personal energy to expand and tap into the divine. Her grandmothers before her were roots women who could gather plant knowledge and mix oils, potions, and fix potent mojo bags for protection and strength. They could also shape external outcomes in the physical world through sheer will with true believers. Brandy wasn't so much a true believer as she was more an opportunist working for an upper hand with Kris's esoteric knowledge. Kris was the first in her family of Hoodoo women to use tarot cards. She found it was easier to hide the power behind perceived parlor tricks and entertainment than to allow people close to the real truth that often frightened them. Her family was gifted with a power that was handed down five generations. Granny May was a churchgoing woman and a sanctified member of Mount Vernon AME church for all of her seventy-five years and folks there knew that if Jesus couldn't get on the mainline right away for whatever reason, then Granny May could assist in special ways that the church folk didn't like to talk about openly. In the matters of love, health, finances, and everything else in between, there wasn't anything Granny May or Kris couldn't help fix.

Except for her own life.

Kris tampered down on the outside images of her own sorry lot in life at that moment. The focus was on Brandy now. She ran her fingers over the first card and turned it over. She did the same for the next one. And the next one.

Her eyes regarded each image, ignoring the initial story they tried to tell by going deeper.

The High Priestess.

The Chariot.

The World.

All three cards were reversed.

If it was love and romance Brandy wanted, Kris was not seeing it in the cards literally or feeling it in her gut.

"Is it bad? Be honest."

Kris glanced up at her face and gave a long sigh. She studied the cards again. It was better to cut to the quick.

"There's nothing here that I see that will center the both of you. Any connection you two have will not be fulfilling for either of you. Any romance you pursue will be forced…fake. He'll take you for granted. You'll do the same—"

"You're serious?"

"It's what I'm picking up. I don't see you being happy with him. If it's just fun that you want then I'd say go for it. But if you are looking for more than that. He's not the one for you. At least not now."

"So there is a possibility we could be something amazing?"

"There's always a possibility. There's a level of honesty that I'm not seeing for a positive love match."

"What about sex? Would we have great sex?"

"That'll cost you another twenty-five."

"Charlatan!"

Brandy threw another small couch pillow at her head. Kris ducked.

"Watch out for the candles!"

She blew them out before her cousin burned the house down.

"Goodnight," Kris said.

Brandy stood up and sauntered to her room still wrapped in blankets.

"I'll pay you in the morning," she mumbled closing her bedroom door.

Kris put away her cards and wares and meandered to her bedroom. Climbing into bed she snuggled up close to Jordan. They faced one another and she kissed his nose. He reached under his pillow and pulled out a nickel-sized rose quartz stone.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's to help you sleep."

"I don't need your little trinkets. I have some melatonin gummies."

"Are they working?"

"Not really."

"What's the harm in using other things?"

"I know you mean well, Kris. I also know you're scared."

Kris pulled her left hand up to her chest.

"We won't be here long. I promise you that. I don't need your little magical crystals or your little bags of stuff jammed into my pockets. I'll find a job and I'll take care of you."

"You've been so down—"

"I know. I'll get through this. I have a friend from school that I touched bases with and he may be able to help me out with some money."

"A loan?"

"No. Some free-lance consulting for a city council race in Florida. I can do it from here online. He's running for office and needs help with his campaign."

"That's great!"

"Won't be a lot, but it's enough to cover us a few months longer."

He stuck the rose quartz back under his pillow and closed his eyes.

"Thank you for hanging in there with me," he whispered.

She nuzzled under his chin and ran her fingers along his arm.

"Jordan?"

His body trembled and she could feel cool drops of water on her forehead. Reaching up, she touched his cheeks with light fingertips. His tears fell faster.

"Honey," she murmured.

Her lips gave soft gentle pecks to his face, but she allowed him to release without trying to prevent the outpouring of emotion.

"I don't have anyone but you, Kris."

The lump in her throat felt tight and her eyes welled up.

"I'm always going to be here, Jordan. You and me against the world."

He wiped his eyes and pulled her in for a strong embrace.

###

Kris thought Tejano Tuesday was off the chain, but it was nothing compared to Friday night at TLS. The live five-piece band played zydeco and R & B classics, and with Nathaniel the DJ filling in the sets, the bar was rocking and rolling. It was the first time since starting that Kris felt that maybe she had bitten off more than she could chew. Just a little bit.

She was given three booths of her own to serve with a seasoned staff member named Shantel shadowing her. She had one slip up at the bar when she grabbed the wrong drinks and had to bring them back for a quick oopsie exchange. She dropped one tray of food leaving from the kitchen pick-up when she bumped into another server, but other than those two glitches she was trying her best to keep up with the pace.

Her new dark denim jeans felt tight jammed into the dark brown boots she purchased on sale at the Boot Barn. Brandy let her borrow her cowboy hat that looked better on Kris than it did her. She had to get used to some of the stares she got from men and a few women when they looked at the deep cleavage in her form-fitting V-neck work shirt. Her girls were showing out and Kris just sucked it up. The men at her tables ogled but they were leaving big tips, so she accepted the trade-off.

There were so many people pressed into TLS that she literally had to squeeze by people carefully each time she made a run to the bar or the kitchen. Her scalp was sweating from the cowboy hat, but she liked the two simple braids she put in her hair that rested on her shoulders.

She was returning a tray of empty cocktail glasses to the bar when she saw Greg staring at a customer posted up on one of the bar saddle seats. He had a frown on his face and he was talking to one of the female bartenders. The customer looked familiar.

"Kris. You're about to go on break. Do me a favor, can you run out and get Erik? His cousin is getting a little tanked and a bit surly."

"Where is he?"

The bartender, Kendra, leaned in toward her.

"He just got here. Someone said he was out in his truck still."

Greg looked pressed.

"Could you go check? If he's there, tell him to come get Biandro and then go on your break—"

"I can find my own goddamn cousin on my own. And I don't need him. Just serve me another shot!"

Biandro's slurred words didn't hide the belligerent attitude behind them.

"Be back," Kris said.

Threading through the crowd, she walked out of the bar and moved around the side to the employee parking. Her eyes found Erik's truck and the closer she walked to it, the louder she could hear music vibrating from within it. She tapped on the driver's side tinted glass window. Kris had to rap her knuckles on it a couple of times before he finally turned his music low and rolled the window down.

"Hey, Erik, Greg needs you at the bar. Your cousin is really drunk."

Erik's eyes took her in from head to toe as he looked down at her from the cab. His truck was massive. There was smeared bronze lipstick on his mouth. He wiped his lips when he saw her noticing it and Kris saw movement on the passenger side. A woman. The dancing queen from Sunday night. The one with the tattoo and daisy dukes. She was wiping her lips too.

Kris looked back at Erik and of course, his eyes were on her breasts. Typical.

"Your cousin?" she reiterated waving her hand at his face.

"I'll have to take his ass home," Erik said to the woman.

They both climbed out of the truck and followed Kris back.

"Damn girl, you bow-legged for real."

"So."

"I just didn't notice it before. Looks like you're riding a horse."

Kris glanced back at him as the woman swatted his arm.

"I'm just saying…an observation. It's more of a slight bowing—"

"Stop being rude," the woman quipped.

They returned to the thick of the action and Kris watched Erik stand near Biandro. Greg caught her eye and she nodded at him heading to the kitchen to order herself a quesadilla and some 7 Up for dinner. She grabbed her tray of food and drink and took it out to the patio that was not as dense with people. Everyone was into shaking their asses on the dance floor leaving a bit of peace and quiet for Kris as she nibbled away on three types of Mexican cheese and seasoned chicken in a warm soft flour tortilla.

"Get your hands off of me!"

Biandro burst through the patio door and Erik forced him to sit down on a chair. He handed his cousin bottled water.

"Sit out here until you sober up."

Erik sat down next to Biandro. Kris watched them as she ate her food. Trey the bouncer walked out to check on them and Erik gave him a hand signal that he was okay. Trey stepped back into the bar, but she could see him lingering by the door inside.

"A man can't have a few drinks?"

"You've had way more than a few, cuz."

A very pretty Black woman came outside and walked right up to Biandro.

"I called Caddo to come get you," the woman said.

"Selena, I don't need you to call anyone for me," Biandro said.

"This is Erik's business. You can't act a fool in front of his customers."

"I apologize. Alright? Y'all satisfied? I'm sorry. I'm going through some shit and just wanted to have some drinks—"

"Let's go," Selena said grabbing firmly onto Biandro's arm and helping him stand up.

Biandro stood and Selena held his hand.

"We all know you're in a lot of pain. But you need to get sloppy drunk at home, okay? We've all been there, Biandro. We love you and want to see you through this. C'mon…I got him Erik…"

Selena led Biandro back inside and he seemed calmer with the woman's guidance instead of Erik's. Kris sipped on her 7-Up and the straw she had made noise when she got down to the ice. Erik noticed her.

"Did we disturb your break?" he asked.

"No."

Erik stood and walked over to her table.

"Same ole shit, just a different day."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Heartbroken. It's going to take him a long time to get over it."

Erik's eyes took her in again, but not in a teasing way.

"You look good as a cowgirl. How's the job going so far?"

"Fine. Good. I'm getting the hang of things."

She glanced at her watch.

"Gotta get back to work," she said standing up with her tray.

"Alright then."

"Hope your cousin feels better."

"Me too."

Erik's eyes still held hers. It unnerved her a little bit.

"See ya," she said walking toward the door.

When she glanced back, he was still looking at her.


	8. Where The Pretty Women At?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris starts to see Erik in a different way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? I'm flowing right now! I'm not going to question these quick updates!

"From city to city

I got my people with me

You know we gonna stunt

When I come to your town, yeah, yeah

I said I got one question to the ladies

Which one of you is gonna be my baby?

Tonight, I gotta know, where the pretty women at?

Where the pretty women at?"

Lil Nathan & The Zydeco Big Timers—"Where The Pretty Women At?"

Kris tucked the ten-dollar tip into her black server apron as a young gold-toothed busser swept through to clean down her booth. She grabbed a napkin from the napkin-holder on an unoccupied table and dabbed her forehead and cheeks before tossing it into a trash can near the bar where she picked up some cranberry martinis for a table of older women celebrating a birthday.

Erik was behind the bar helping out the rush with three other bartenders and his face was focused on creating cocktails and keeping the drinks flowing. Kris passed by a small round table that Erik's girlfriend was perched at with her girlfriends and she looked happier than the last time Kris saw her crying by a pool table a week before. She had to give it to him, the man knew how to pick beautiful women, and she admired Daisy Dukes's ability to overlook Erik's wandering eye.

"Here you go ladies," Kris said handing out martini's and taking used glasses away.

Greg appeared by her side with three other servers. He blew into a whistle that hung around his neck that Kris hadn't noticed before and drew everyone in Kris's section's attention.

"Cowboys and Cowgirls and Cowpeople of all ages around the world, today we have a very special birthday for a very fine filly who is today year's old. Please join us in wishing her a very Happy Birthday!"

Kris watched Greg and the other servers and most of the customers sing a version of Happy Birthday that made the birthday girl, Mary Alice, smile with the biggest sixty-year-old smile ever. Greg presented her with a small marble cake with enough spoons for each of her friends. A single slender white candle was in the center of the cake and the woman blew it out among shouts of congratulations.

Nathaniel the DJ took over the set as the guest band from Shreveport took a short break. A snappy little horn-heavy funk song came on and Kris grimaced as she saw the other servers get in position to do their little coordinated dance routine. Kris felt her face get warm and her tummy fill up with slight cramps as customers grinned at the staff. The music cue came on and Kris did her best to try and remember the steps, but she bungled most of them and just forced herself to rock back and forth on her feet hoping no one was noticing her lack of dance skills.

Even the bartenders were jamming to the music and the catcalls, and she saw Erik rolling his shoulders while he continued mixing drinks. Kris clapped her hands in time to the beat and told herself to practice over the weekend when she was off. The servers did three different dance routines for a full two minutes before Nathaniel released them with some bounce music that had younger folks flocking to the floor.

Kris gave a deep sigh as she survived the staff dance. Hopefully, the crowd blocked her from getting clowned for her poor skills. She was never that good at choreographed dancing beyond the basic group dances like the Electric Slide or the Chuck Baby that she learned in D.C. when she was heavy into Go-Go music. She grabbed some check holders with credit cards and went to cash out some tables.

"You were on struggle mode," Erik said moving past her as she used a register.

Kris closed her eyes.

"I'm still new and learning," she said.

"The good thing is you're petite so I don't think folks had to suffer."

She stopped swiping the touchscreen and glared at him.

"I'm teasing," he said moving past her as he grabbed some cognac glasses.

"Could you not make comments about my body…please?"

Erik stopped what he was doing. One of the other male bartenders heard her and he moved away from them quickly.

"Sorry. Won't happen again."

"Thank you."

Her fingers swiped across the register screen hard and she collected the receipts she needed and left the bar in a huff. Checking on her tables she made her way around to the kitchen to pick up some riblets and potato poppers. She delivered the food and had a moment to just watch her small station as people ate, drank, and wiggled in their seats in time to the music. She checked her watch. She only had two hours left to work.

Collecting tip money and credit cards to cash out tabs once more after thirty minutes, Kris headed back to the bar. There was a lull in the action and the bar staff was using it to wipe down the long counter and replace shelves with clean glasses.

"Hey, Kris…"

Erik stood at the end of the bar sipping on a coke can.

"Yeah?"

She kept her eye on the register and then tucked check holders with credit cards inside her apron.

"Sorry about what I said about your legs and shit earlier."

She nodded and spritzed hand sanitizer on her hands from the bottle sitting near the register.

"I can get a little too comfortable with people here, and you don't know me like that."

"Glad you know how to hold yourself accountable. Being the owner and all."

She saw his lips get a little tight but then his woman came up to the bar.

"You owe me," the woman said reaching out for Erik's hand.

Erik looked over at his male bartender, Mickey.

"Aye man. I'll be back. Taking, Vanessa to the floor," he said.

He squeezed his can of coke and threw it away. Moving around the counter he clasped hands with Vanessa and headed to the dance floor. Kris watched them move through the sea of people and take to the center of the floor. The band started the music off slow and she saw Erik pull Vanessa in close to his chest. His right hand ran along the small of her back and she snuggled closer to him. A stocky chicory root-colored man with a gorgeous smile known Snap Bean to everyone on staff began running spoons along the corrugated metal washboard he wore over his chest. The lead singer, Scott, squeezed an accordion and the drummer kicked in a fast beat and the floor came alive.

Erik and Vanessa were so in sync with their dancing and it made Kris feel a little envious that she couldn't move like that. She had two left feet most times and watching her boss twirl and swing out with a gorgeous woman had her stewing. She wished that she could dance like that with Jordan. He was a great dancer.

Even though Kris was rooted in Texas and Louisiana, she just didn't grow up with zydeco with her parents while being raised on the East Coast. The music was around when she was sent down to visit family, but she never experienced it like the way they were cutting up in the TLS. It was Black country, backwater bluesy, and so Creole-heavy that she was in awe of how they all moved. The spinning, hopping, and hip-twisting…the hard-driving electric guitar rhythm that amped up the crowd even more…the shrill calls to other dancers to encourage them to show out…it all had Kris toe-tapping behind the bar. She moved back over to her tables to check on her customers and all of them were on the floor, their food half-eaten and waiting for their return. She kept watch over their things as she leaned against the dance floor barrier.

Granny May was always trying to get her to spend more time in Mariscal to soak up the culture. Cowboys, Creoles, and ballsy women were all around her as she snapped her thumb and middle finger together. Her eyes studied Erik. Although her tarot cards revealed a sorry future for Brandy, she started to see what the other women saw in him from afar. The attentiveness was alluring. Every woman she saw him interact with, even Brandy, Erik made it look like they were the only woman in the room. Even when he was clocking several at one time, his flirtatious nature seduced the women away from noticing that. Staring at him, Kris saw him gaze into Vanessa's eyes as the music segued into something slower. He whispered in her ear and Vanessa tilted her head allowing him to kiss her neck. She could see those full lips of his planted on the woman's skin and not leaving it. Shit. He was sucking on her neck in the middle of the dance floor.

Kris looked away and scurried over to her tables as a few dancing guests returned to their seats to eat. She refilled water glasses and brought over new cocktails. Her shift ended and she clocked out. She took a tall barstool seat at a round table in front of the bar to wait for another server whom she was carpooling with. Her wait was only an hour, so she took that time to watch the dancing again. She took off her cowboy hat and sat it on the table with great care. One of the servers in that section brought her some chips and guacamole just to be nice. She snacked and minded her business until Erik meandered her way and stopped at her table.

"I'm off," she said when he glanced at her hat on the table.

"I wasn't going to say anything."

His eyes watched her face.

"What?"

"Nothing. You look chill."

"I'm free."

His fingers grabbed one of her chips and dipped it in the guacamole. She frowned.

"Stingy," he said wiping his fingers on a napkin.

He sat on a stool next to her and she fixed her eyes back onto the dancing. They shared her snack in silence and she felt antsy the longer he stayed there.

"Don't you have to work the bar right now?"

"On break. I close tonight."

"Oh."

"Tryna get rid of me?"

"It just feels weird having you sit here. Did you want to ask me something or…?"

His head cocked back and his eyebrows furrowed like he was confused or something. She decided to switch up the conversation.

"Did your cousin make it home okay?"

"Biandro? Yeah. Selena ended up taking him herself."

"You said he was heartbroken?"

"Yeah. He's been in love with a woman who doesn't love him back. She's the mother of his only child and it's been an ongoing issue for him."

"That's sad."

"He could have a choice of so many women here…ones who actually want him, but he's stuck on that woman."

Erik's eyes darted over to the bar and then he stared at her again.

"He's not being rude again, is he?"

Vanessa slid over to their table and rubbed her shoulder against Erik's.

"No. He's being good—"

"Talking about Biandro," he said.

"Oh…yeah. Poor thing."

A small frown went across Vanessa's face as she said Biandro's name. The band struck up another hot tune and loud shouts erupted from the dance floor as people got down again. Kris bopped her head and popped her fingers. Erik caught her bouncing in her seat.

"Get out there," he encouraged.

"No…I can't do any of that."

"Yes you can," Vanessa said.

"I've never been good at partner dances. I don't know how to let a man lead me."

Erik smirked.

"The steps are easy, all the extra stuff comes later," Vanessa pressed.

"True," Erik said.

"Take her out there," Vanessa suggested.

"No," Kris said.

She hopped down from the stool.

Vanessa's friends rushed up to her with drinks in their hands and she followed them to the dance floor where they sipped their drinks and did a line dance amongst themselves separate from the partner dancing.

"She seems like fun," Kris said pushing her chips away on the table and stacking their used napkins on top of them.

He nodded.

"Does she know you asked my cousin out?"

Erik's head really tilted as he took in her smug expression.

"Ain't none of her business."

His tone was rough.

"That's your girlfriend, right?"

"Nah."

"Does she know that?"

"Yeah."

Kris was surprised at his answer.

His eyes ghosted over her hair and he reached over and tugged on one of her braids.

"You remind me of Jessie from Toy Story," he said.

"A white doll?"

"You know what I mean."

She gave him a smile to let him know she wasn't offended.

"Cute," he said.

Kris tapped her finger on the table. She wanted to leave. But then she didn't want to leave. She pulled on her hat and stepped back from the table. His eyes turned to the floor and she saw him check out Vanessa and her friends. He stood up and reached for her hand.

"C'mon, I'ma show you the basics," he said.

His warm fingers entwined with her cool ones and she pushed back on her heels trying to get away.

"No, I can't…I suck…"

He pulled her toward him.

"It's easy. Lemme teach you."

Erik pulled her toward the dancing and she could feel her boots sliding on the wood floor. Her hand felt so small inside his and she watched his back as he led her to brighter lights and louder sounds. Kris felt a tightening in her chest and her stomach knotted in a painful ball.

"Relax, Kris," he said looking down at her.

His dark creamy brown eyes made her feel like she was floating. They were on the right side of the dance floor where they had space to move without bumping into others who were throwing down.

"I don't want to do this."

She felt her hands shake in his.

"Just try."

His voice was soothing and made her have goosebumps by the way it flowed into her ear.

"You just mirror what I do," he said.

He stood back from her and showed her the basic steps. She moved with him without touching him.

"This doesn't look like what everyone else is doing," she said feeling more and more self-conscious.

Her eyes darted around to see if anyone was watching them.

"No one is looking," he said.

She followed his simple lesson, rocking back on her feet and stepping forward in time with him. He led her into a pattern on the floor and she did okay watching his black sneakers move.

"Now let's add the hands," he said.

She rested her hands within his.

"Side step…back step…mirror my leg…good…side in…you got it…let that waist loosen up girl!"

Kris grinned as Erik led her, but she grew more nervous when he pulled her in tight as the floor became congested with new people.

"Keep doing the basics," he crooned.

She tried to relax more but grew more agitated when she saw Vanessa swinging by dancing with another man. They were doing more advanced steps and it threw Kris off.

"Focus on me…us…" Erik said.

The raspy quality of his voice made her stare up into his eyes.

"I'm going to swing you out and pull you back in. Just go with the flow."

She nodded and felt him release her left hand. She turned and felt her feet betray her and she made a clumsy return to his arms.

"That wasn't bad!" he said all excited.

He did it once more with her other hand and she bumped into Vanessa.

"Sorry!"

Vanessa ignored her and shook her hips with her partner. Dropping low to the ground near them, the woman became a little extra showy and it made Kris anxious about messing up again.

"Don't look at her," Erik whispered in her ear as he bent down.

The soft heat of his breath made the shell of her ear tingle and she felt out of wack when he pressed against her. Her breasts mashed into his chest and she became aware that he was very aware of their softness next to his body. Erik's midsection was full of heat and muscle and Kris's lips parted trying to take in more air.

"Okay Tinker Bell, you got it," he quipped.

"Tinker Bell?"

"Kris!"

Startled, Kris glanced behind her and saw Jordan standing against the dance floor barrier. He waved at her and she waved back.

"My boyfriend," she said as Erik's eyes narrowed while staring at Jordan.

Erik still held onto her right hand and when she pulled away from it, he took a few seconds longer to let her go.

"Thanks for the lesson," she blurted out fast as she rushed away from him.

Jordan threw an arm around her when she greeted him. Her heart was beating so fast and she could feel her armpits sweating profusely.

"What are you doing here?"

"Got bored at the house and decided to check this place out."

"How long have you been here?"

"Just got here about twenty minutes ago. One of the bartenders said you were over here somewhere."

Kris touched the top of her chest. Her heart was still thumping out a crazy rhythm.

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"I picked up an application for the bouncer job. You were right. This place is wild."

Jordan was wide-eyed as he took in the saloon.

"That was the owner. The guy I was dancing with. He was teaching me how to dance to this music."

"How'd you do on the staff dance?"

She rolled her eyes and Jordan laughed. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"I was getting a ride home with Rekia."

"You can ride with me."

"I'll tell her. Wait for me here," she said making him stay near the dance floor where she could find him easily.

Kris went to the other side of the bar and pulled Rekia aside and gave her ten dollars for gas money that she was paying for ride-sharing. She grabbed her purse from the office and said goodnight to the assistant manager Katrina.

Erik was back at the bar cashing out. He saw her heading home for the night and Kris could feel his eyes sliding across her form once more. But this time, it didn't bother her. He spoke to Greg and she snuck a look at his chest and savored the memory of her breasts pressed up against him. Shaking her head, Kris tried to banish the thoughts. He was her boss. Brandy wanted him. She had a boyfriend. He had…Vanessa and whoever else.

"Ready?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah. Let's go."

On the ride home in her own car, Kris went over the dance steps in her mind even as she pictured Erik pulling her in close and oh so slow.

She closed her eyes and felt her stomach unknot.


	9. Hide Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik grapples with having Kris work for him.

"Can anyone live with Eartha Kitt?

That's not for me to decide

That's for someone who decides to live with me to decide

Not for me

But are you willing to compromise within a relationship?

To compromise? What is compromising?

Compromising for what?

Compromising for what reason?"

Mahalia – "Hide Out"

Her hand felt like a tiny bird clasped in his.

Even with his short thick fingers, her slender ones were so delicate in his hands. She didn't want to dance. He made her do it anyway. She protested but went with him even as he felt the hesitation in her boots.

Kris Montana was a strange one.

Big talk came out of her plump lips and no matter how annoyed she looked it was hard to take her seriously with that dimple in her chin and those softly bowing legs in her tight jeans. She had a little booty that looked perky with the slight sway in her back on her small stature. Well…not everything was small on her.

Erik did his best not to stare at her chest when he rolled down the window of his truck when she was sent to find him for Biandro's drunk behind. She looked extra cute with her make-up and the eyeliner she wore made the slant in her eyes more prominent.

But that rack though.

Jesus.

It was just there. And it was real. Augmented breasts didn't jiggle like that. The sweatsuit he saw her in at their brunch date did an amazing camouflage job because he never would've guessed that Tinker Bell had the most interesting body he had seen in a long time. Texas Black women, like most Black women to the south of the U.S., had bodies that could stimulate the imagination. Whatever a man wanted, Texas had it in abundance. However, Kris had an unusual face and build for him, and that quirkiness piqued his interest considerably.

Erik sat next to her at the end of her shift and she looked at him like his breath stank or something. He didn't think he was annoying, but her body language made him think that she wanted him to go run out in the street and get hit by a car. What woman had ever treated him like that?

When she checked him about commenting on her person, he took it to heart. Not her type was the vibe he picked up on and he found this stupefying because of her directness. It rattled him. All the fine bitches he could pull, had pulled, and had sitting and waiting for him in the cut…this odd duck barely wanted him near her? Goofy ass.

She started moving around in time to the music on the stool and the look on her face when he suggested she go dance cemented the need to take her out there himself. That bold mouth, the surly glares, and the hand on the hip attitude all but disappeared. There was just her soft delicate hands fluttering like frightened bird wings.

Doe-like eyes stared up at him when they put together the entire dance sequence. She made him smile when she messed up a few times and just stood there with her eyes closed like she was silently berating herself. He nudged her to keep going and he was rewarded with a tentative grin on her face.

Vanessa began showing off as usual, and Erik tried to keep Kris close to him, keep her eyes on him. The vulnerable look on her face as he swung her out made him draw her in close.

Fuck.

When her breasts smashed against him, he tilted his hips back just a little to keep from rubbing up on the wrong place and poking out when he shouldn't. She had him thinking thoughts that he wasn't expecting. Especially when he caught a whiff of her perfume up close. It was the same fragrance Brandy had on at the fair, but it smelled more intense and more arousing on Kris.

Everything about her in that moment had him pressed to know her better until her boyfriend showed up. He knew she had a boyfriend. She told him that. A long-term boyfriend that she was secretly living with at her grandmother's house. Erik saw the man and the first thought that ran through his head was to punch the nigga in the jaw. As soon as he thought that, Erik questioned why and the only thing he could think of from jump was that her man got to crawl into bed with her and see her naked. He got to palm those breasts and stroke those bow legs at night.

His racing brain brought up images of Arletta, Vanessa, and Brandy…all baddies…but his body was responding to…

A woman who didn't think he was worth a damn.

A woman who had laughed in his face when he was doing his thing to bag her cousin.

Erik spent the rest of his break time at the bar sipping on Henny and watching Vanessa flit around the saloon all giddy.

He messed up with that one.

Instead of just staying home and relaxing to decompress from weeks of not being in his own regular bed, Erik had called Vanessa on his cell to try and smooth over any hard feelings she had. After an hour of talking, she suggested that he come over to her place for a nightcap and he went. He ended up spending the night with her and having incredible sex.

The rest of the week he bounced between Vanessa's bed and Arletta's until the latter had to go out of town for her job. Arletta was a corporate personal assistant and the time he did spend with her was fun. She was spunky. Spontaneous. She never questioned him about Vanessa when her avatar popped up on his phone. He actually started to miss her when Vanessa hinted at getting back together as a couple again.

Sitting in his truck he told her no and she pouted for five seconds before crawling onto his lap and kissing him. She was revving up for some truck fucking when Kris interrupted them.

"Ignore her," Vanessa sighed in his mouth.

"It might be something important," he said pushing Vanessa off of him. The evening became less enticing once Kris left with her man.

On an arid early morning with a big blue sky and wispy cirrus clouds, Erik poured himself fresh ground coffee inside a stainless-steel thermos and left his house to go take his daily walk to the stables.

Biandro was already up talking to Selena in their on-site office.

"Morning," Selena said.

Erik stared at Biandro and his cousin looked to be nursing a hangover as he stroked the side of his left temple.

"Morning," he said.

Biandro gave a head nod and Erik left it at that.

"Mimi should be dropping her foal any day now," Selena said.

She typed on her laptop and the clickety-clack sounds seemed to bother Biandro.

"Let's go for a walk," Erik said to Biandro,

Selena looked up from her computer as Biandro hesitated.

"I wanna go look at Mimi," Erik said.

Biandro stood up and grabbed an empty coffee mug on his desk. Erik held up his thermos.

"The good stuff," he said.

Biandro held out his mug and Erik unscrewed the lid and poured a good amount for him. They strolled out of the tidy office and passed by a few ranch hands on their way to make patrols for the still elusive cougar. Luckily, no more dead cattle were found, but there was plenty of dried gray sausage-looking scat deposits filled with rabbit fur on the outskirts of their ranch.

Pop Pop and Nana Rae were already inside the main horse stable looking in on the six-year-old sorrel-colored mare.

"Mama is ready," Nana Rae said scratching the mare's nose.

Big Man was housed right next to Mimi since he was the father and Erik sucked his teeth to make his horse come to him.

Pop Pop took one look at Biandro and knew his grandson was still working through his feelings with Monette. Erik didn't know who told Nana Rae about the news, but their grandmother stayed tight-lipped about it.

"You ready to be a daddy, huh boy?" Erik whispered to Big Man.

Mimi neighed as Nana Rae showered her with affection.

"Asha is going to be so excited when the baby gets here," Nana Rae said.

"She's going to do the barrel race in North Carolina. The doctor cleared her ankle," Pop Pop said.

Selena's twelve-year-old daughter Asha was the youngest cowgirl of the family who fractured her ankle falling off of her horse while doing a full gallop out on their land. A rattlesnake had frightened her horse Levi and he reared up tossing the girl on the hard ground.

"Me and Caddo are going to compete this year," Erik said.

"Good! Been a long time since any of you have had fun out there like that," Nana Rae said.

His grandmother gave him a sly look.

"You ever give Kris a call?" she asked.

"She works at the bar," Biandro said.

"When did this happen?" Nana Rae said with sudden excitement in her voice.

"Last week," Erik said trying to pretend he was interested in Big Man's newly braided mane.

Nana Rae gave Mimi a kiss.

"Oh, I know sweetheart. You are ready to have this baby. You and I haven't ridden together in months."

She stepped back from the stall.

"Come up for breakfast after your ride?" she asked.

Erik nodded. Nana stepped back but didn't know Pop Pop was directly behind her.

"Watch it, woman," he said grabbing her hips.

"If I back it up, whatchu gon' do?" she said.

"Hey now," Erik said giggling as his grandfather seemed flustered by the question in front of them.

Biandro smiled and Erik nodded to him to go saddle up his horse Popeye so they could go ride before it got too hot.

Pop Pop snagged Nana Rae's hand in his and they strolled out of the stable together.

"He back in the big house?" Erik asked.

"He's back in the big house," Biandro said.

"They ever say what got him kicked out this time?"

"You know she ain't gonna let nobody in her business."

Erik opened up Big Man's stall and placed his bridle on him.

"Should we walk her?" Biandro asked looking at Mimi who stuck her head over onto Erik's horse's side and nuzzled Big Mans's right ear.

"Nah. I don't want to get out there and have her foaling on us."

Erik led Big Man over to where he kept his gear and began the task of saddling and tacking him up. He was done in ten minutes and Biandro met him in front of the stable office where Popeye gave big Man a soft nickering sound as they greeted one another.

They headed out together in a northern direction and the first thirty minutes were ridden in silence as they both observed their family land and enjoyed the sunlight on their faces. Erik sipped from his thermos that he still carried with him.

"Monette called me early this morning."

"Yeah?" Erik said glancing over at Biandro.

They stopped to look at thirty sheep running loose. Nana ran her ranch the way her grandparents did, rotating various types of farm animals to naturally keep the land fertile. Chickens roamed free also and they were looking into goats and turkeys too.

"She wants me to keep Ramon for the rest of the summer after North Carolina."

"That's cool, man."

"I'll bring him back with us. He's excited."

"Asha will be too."

Biandro nodded.

"That's all she can talk about. Selena is making plans for them to go to Six Flags."

"Biandro—"

"Thank you for gathering me up last night. I honestly went to TLS to be around happy faces and I just…got lost in the sauce."

They rode a little further and watched a couple of gophers peek at them from hidden holes.

"I don't think she's into this guy she's engaged to. When I asked her about their marital plans she couldn't give me a definite wedding date."

"How does Ramon feel about it?"

"I can't tell. When I see him I'll know the real deal, but for now, he's just excited about staying with me until school starts back up."

They reached a long stretch of open land filled with short grass and wildflowers. Stuffing his thermos into a saddlebag he gripped the reins on Big Man.

"Giddyup!" Erik called out tapping his boot heels into Big Man's side.

Erik ran his horse at a full gallop allowing the animal to stretch its legs fully. Biandro did the same with Popeye and they raced until they came upon some herding cattle foraging. Some were resting and sunning themselves.

"Let's head back," Biandro said.

Erik took a little more time looking around before he sucked his teeth and tapped his heels on Big Man again allowing him to gallop once more. Biandro didn't race him this time. It was almost eight-thirty by the time they returned the horses to an enclosed pasture where they could graze freely. Big Man went up to Mimi right away and Erik watched her enormous belly move on one side with the foal inside.

"Right on time!" Nana Rae said.

Selena and Pop Pop were already seated at the breakfast table in the big house. Erik and Biandro cleaned their hands and joined the others at the table as Nana Rae placed a big platter of hashbrowns on the table to join the other food already ready. Scrambled eggs, gravy, bacon, toast, grits, and fried fish were ready to be feasted on. They held hands and said grace, and Erik ate his fill as his grandmother speculated on the new market value of the cattle, the possibility of teaming up with another organic food company, and the amount of money Erik could make studding his Friesian horses as opposed to selling them.

"How is Kris doing at TLS?" she casually tossed in.

"Okay. She's only been there a few days. I saw her last night."

"She like it?"

"I guess."

"You didn't ask her?"

"I was busy."

"We should go down there next week," Nana Rae said touching Pop Pop's wrist.

"Your grandmother and I were thinking of having my birthday party there," Pop Pop said.

"Oh no, Asha can't come then. Neither can Ramon," Selena lamented.

"We can have a small family thing here at the house so the kids can celebrate, but we thought it would be fun to bring out all of our old friends and really have an old-fashioned shindig," Nana Rae said.

"Whatever you all want," Erik said.

There was more small talk until Erik, Selena, and Biandro were ready to get to work. His cousins went to their office to handle the horse boarding side of the business and Erik wandered over to see about his prized breed.

The Friesians were kept in a separate stable and enclosed pasture area and he watched them do their morning walkabout. Checking in with his small staff he had calls to make and horseshoes to replace. He was hands-on with his babies and the rest of his day was caring for them until it was dinner time. He skipped lunch and opted to eat alone downtown.

Picking a mid-level restaurant, he enjoyed crab legs and crawfish while checking his social media feed. He called Brandy again, but he was still getting her voicemail even though she did text him back once saying she would be free in a few days.

Playing hard to get. It didn't matter. Arletta would be back the next day, and Vanessa was always ready for him.

He went home and made night time rounds to check on his equines and Mimi before turning in for the night. Vanessa called him but he told her he was tired. Lying on his bed, he left the bedroom window open so he could have the smell of the ranch lull him to sleep. Erik dozed off but woke up when he had a lucid dream of dancing with Kris again. He kept trying to teach her some new steps, but she kept tripping over her feet and falling and Erik kept trying to catch her. Each time he did, her breasts rubbed up against his arm. She seemed oblivious to it and he grew bold, reaching out to touch the handfuls of softness. He woke up immediately with a hard-on that wouldn't go away until he stroked himself.

He envisioned her standing next to his truck door again with her eyes looking up at him and those big tits snug in her skin-tight work shirt. He beat his meat as he saw himself with his truck door open as Kris jumped a little bit, just enough to make her breasts bounce for him. When he grew close to spilling all over his fingers, he imagined himself bending Brandy over and nutting all over her lush ass. He ejaculated with three intense spurts that left hot white streaks on his stomach.

Erik spent the next few days only working at the ranch. He visited Arletta once and took good care of her. She couldn't get enough of him and he was glad he cooled it with Vanessa for a minute because Arletta was hungry for the dick. He bent her every which way and she allowed him to do anal before he left her alone to recharge for another day. After an absence of a week, he scheduled himself to do some TLS time to cover for a bartender on vacation.

Skin extra brown from being in the sun all day, a fresh line up and new cologne on his skin, Erik felt ready to be around loud noise and party people again. He stepped into TLS brimming with energy.

"How's it going?"

Kris's boyfriend stood in all black clothing with the white lettering of "Security" spread across the breast pocket of his work shirt.

"Jordan," he said holding out his hand for Erik.

"New bouncer," Erik said shaking his hand.

"Yeah. Starting today. Finished my certification a few days ago."

"Cool."

Jordan was taller than Erik by two inches. He had a sturdy build and a strong ruddy complexion with a winsome smile to match. Erik passed the man up to put away his belongings in the manager's office. The saloon was already busy even though it was only five in the evening.

"How many other people applied for the bouncer gig?" Erik asked Blue.

"Five decent ones. Four trash applicants. Why? You don't like the new guy, Jordan?"

"If you like him, I like him," Erik said.

"He was the best of the bunch. He'll be with Trey and Yancy through closing."

Erik peeked out of the two-way mirror at Jordan. He was chatting it up with Yancy who had his hands spread out demonstrating something to him.

"Did you know he was Kris's boyfriend?"

"No."

"Well, he is."

"Is that a problem?"

"Nah. As long as he can do the job—"

Erik saw Kris saunter in with another server. She greeted Jordan then headed toward the office. He walked out before she walked in and passed her up going to the bar. Once she clocked in, he snuck a peek at her as she took over the middle section in front of him. She had advanced to handling the busiest area in the place.

"I need two Fuzzy Navels and a Saturday Night Special on the rocks," she said.

Erik mixed her drinks while she kept her eye on the floor. She tapped her toes to the DJ mix in her sassy brown boots and when she turned around to grab her drink orders, she had a smile on her face for him.

"You're in a good mood," he said.

"Been practicing the staff dances," she said.

"Excited about that?"

She lifted the tray and her eyes drifted over toward Jordan.

"Among other things," she said.

He watched her deliver her orders and take new ones, her smile infectious with the customers who found her bubbly persona attractive.

Erik kept an eye on her for the rest of the night and occasionally she crossed paths with Jordan. The two of them acted professionally together and Jordan was actually a very cordial fellow even with the most boisterous of patrons. The night grew busier and Erik fell into a comfortable work rhythm. When it was time for his break, he went out to his truck for a cigar respite. He was checking his cell for messages when he heard a tap on his driver's side window. He rolled it down and saw Kris standing there. Again.

"I wanted to thank you for giving Jordan the job," she said.

She handed him a small carton. Inside were three chicken street tacos.

"They told me you forget to eat sometimes, so I brought you something," she said.

"Thanks. But Blue did the hiring. I had nothing to do with Jordan getting picked. I didn't even know he applied."

"Oh. Well…thank you for hiring me then."

"You're welcome."

"Enjoy," she said.

Her face was raised up in the way that he fantasized about days ago and his eyes took in the deep line of her cleavage. He swallowed thickly and looked away. She walked back around to the front of the saloon.

Eating the food she brought him, he finished up his break thinking about her. What was it about Kris that had his grandmother so adamant that she was the one?

Beyond the physical attraction that was clearly there for him, he knew nothing about her that would make him think they were compatible. She appeared enamored with her boyfriend and Erik found it puzzling that she was on his mind all night.

He walked back into the saloon in time to see the staff doing their group dance. Kris was doing her best but she still had a lot to work on. He watched her turn left when everyone else went right, and she mixed up a grapevine step with a kick-ball-chain move throwing off another server in her section. She laughed and covered her face with a drink tray and customers clapped their hands for her anyway. He grinned as he cut up some lemons.

Goofy ass.


	10. Superstition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik, Caddo, and Monroe, seek out Kris's help in matters of the heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to give you all daily treats for the holidays!

"Very superstitious,  
Wash your face and hands,  
Rid me of the problem,  
Do all that you can,  
Keep me in a daydream,  
Keep me goin' strong,  
You don't wanna save me,  
Sad is the soul

When you believe in things  
That you don't understand,  
Then you suffer,  
Superstition ain't the way"

Stevie Wonder—"Superstitious"

Monroe sat at the bar right next to Caddo sweating bullets.

Erik stood behind the bar pouring both men glasses of beer from the tap. His own face hung heavy with worry.

"I don't understand it. Two weeks. Two weeks! I've been turned down for dates and hookups," Monroe lamented.

He traced his finger on the condensation against the tall glass as Caddo and Erik shook their heads.

"Me! Monroe Elias Stevens, the Lothario of downtown Mariscal…how is this possible? My dick ain't been wet except for in showers the last fourteen days. What the ever-loving fuck?"

"You? Man, I had this shorty on lock for weeks and finally bagged her. Been spending money on her like crazy. But now? Doesn't answer calls, ignores me if she sees me walking Samson at the dog park. I was thinking about introducing her to my Mama and everything!" Caddo whined.

Erik sipped on some sparkling lemon water and shoved his left hand in his pocket.

"Vanessa ain't talking to me now, and Arletta's been hanging with her homegirls instead of me."

"What about Brandy?"

"She went on one date with me. I heard she liked art so I took her to the Sunday Folk Art Festival over in Tyler. Brought a whole picnic basket lunch…wine, cheeses…all that good shit. She gave me one kiss at the end of the trip and has my text messages on read now."

All three commiserated for a good twenty minutes until a server named Ivy wandered by with a tray of chips and salsa.

"Sounds like you guys should talk to Kris," she said stopping at the bar to grab two bottled beers.

"Talk to her about what?" Erik said.

"She gives tarot card readings on the patio before and after work to some of the staff."

"Since when?" Erik asked.

"About a week ago. She and Jordan had a cookout last weekend at their house and she did some tarot readings. She's pretty accurate. It's almost scary."

"How come I wasn't invited?" Erik whined.

"No one wants their boss around," Ivy joked.

"What does she do exactly?" Monroe asked.

"She has you shuffle a deck of cards and spreads them out. You choose three to five cards from the deck and she reads them for you—"

"A fortune-teller?" Caddo said with a smirk.

"More than that. She can tell you things about yourself to help you solve problems or even answer questions you may have."

Ivy delivered her tray of food and drinks and walked back toward the kitchen.

"Tarot cards?" Monroe snorted.

"Her grandmother is a hoodoo woman, so I'm not surprised," Caddo said.

Erik glanced over at the old Schlitz Malt Liquor bull clock hanging on the bar wall. Kris was due to come into work at one.

"I heard that people like that really don't have any powers, they just do cold readings. They read your body language and just deduce facts based on how you react," Monroe said.

"Couldn't hurt to try it. Our love lives are in the gutter. Nothing is working. Maybe she could give us some insight," Caddo said taking a big gulp of his beer.

Ivy strolled past again with a tray of Buffalo boneless wings and cheese fries.

"There she is now," Ivy said.

Kris bounded in with her cowgirl hat in her hand and carrying a black leather purse. She greeted two servers on her way to the office and as she drew near the bar, her eyes regarded all three men staring at her. She stopped in mid-stride clutching her purse.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Monroe pointed to her.

"You are supposed to have the answers," he accused in a playful tone.

Kris made her way around some tables and stood in front of them. Her cat-like eyes stared at them in confusion.

"Ivy told us you do tarot cards here," Caddo said.

"Just before and after work…for fun," she said.

Kris's eyes studied Erik's as if to check to see if she were in trouble.

"Can you give us a reading before you clock in? Do you have your cards with you?" Erik asked.

Kris patted her purse.

Monroe jumped off of the barstool.

"Let's go to the patio," Monroe said.

Kris looked at the clock.

"You can start work late," Erik said.

The bar wouldn't pick up for another hour. Erik pulled Blue out to cover for him as they headed to the patio behind Kris. She picked a table furthest from the back door and on the side that had six chairs around it. Sitting down across from them, she pulled out a silky purple cloth and laid it across the table. Reaching back into her purse she lifted up a card box with a Black Queen on the cover. Opening it, cards fell into her hands that were slightly larger than regular playing cards.

"Who wants to go first?" she asked.

"We can't do a group reading?" Monroe asked.

"Individual readings is all I do," she said with a slight grin on her face.

The moment she had the cards out, Erik grew self-conscious. He didn't want her knowing he was having lady problems. Especially since he was trying to hook up with her cousin and two other women.

"You go," Erik said to Monroe.

"I want to go first," Caddo said switching seats with Monroe so that he was in the middle facing Kris.

"What would you like to know?"

Kris's eyes were fixed on Caddo, and Erik noticed the change in her voice. She had a normal soft cadence when she spoke, a little fast when she was excited, but when she gave a piercing stare at his cousin, her tone and demeanor shifted. There was extreme confidence wafting off of her and he found it quite attractive. Seductive.

She had taken her hat off and her hair was in a messy twist out that hung on her head like an old pageboy haircut. A light pink-tinted lip gloss shimmered on her mouth, and her button nose wiggled like she was going to cast a spell like the woman on that old TV show Bewitched.

The aura around her crackled with energy and Erik felt the hairs on his arm raise up.

Caddo's eyes were on the cards in her hand. He folded his hands on the purple cloth.

"Why is my love life tanking right now?"

Kris's lips curled into a sly smile.

"What?" Caddo said.

"That seems to be a running theme around TLS," Kris said.

They watched her shuffle the cards three times. She handed them to Caddo.

"Shuffle them as many times as you need," she said.

Caddo took the glossy cards in his hand and clumsily shuffled four times before handing them back to Kris. She cut them three times then fanned them out in a half-circle in front of Caddo.

"Slide five cards forward," she said.

Caddo looked the cards over for a moment before sliding his fingers forward and choosing five cards. He pushed them toward his side of the table then watched Kris's face. Kris turned each card over, but her eyes were glued to Caddo's face. It felt like three minutes went by before Kris stopped looking at Caddo. She lifted the cards and placed them in front of the fanned cards. One card she placed in the middle with the four other cards flanking it in the four cardinal directions.

"All people have energy around them that they give off. Just like people have personalities that we can see when they talk or interact with people, this energy is like an invisible radar that others can sense. Does that make sense to you?" she asked.

Caddo nodded and Erik could see his cousin was nervous. His bottom lip was pushing up into his top lip, and there was no twinkle of mischief in his eye like there normally was. Even Monroe had his hands folded under his chin as he leaned forward with his elbows on the table. Erik had his hands pressed hard on his thighs.

"What I am seeing right now and sensing from your aura is tangled energy. Something is tying up your sexual force that is outside of your own doing."

"Uh-huh," Caddo said with a shaky voice.

Kris finally looked down at the cards.

"Three of Swords. Five of Cups. The Fool. The Moon. Strength."

Erik felt like his skin was crawling watching her study the cards. Her right hand touched the side of her temple as her left ring and middle finger gave soft methodical taps on the cloth. She finally spoke without looking at Caddo, her eyes stuck on the cards.

"The last woman you were with…you spoiled her. Gifts. Money. Time. You spent months pursuing her out in public and things had been going well except…"

Her voice trailed off and her forehead grew tense. Her eyes became narrow with deep focus.

"Except what?" Caddo gasped.

Both of his hands were on the cloth now and Erik thought he was going to leap across the table and throttle Kris if she didn't answer him fast enough.

She sat back and looked him straight in the eye.

"The Three of Cups in reverse is telling me that threes a crowd in your situation. You, your partner, and another entity. The Five of Cups upright is giving me negative energy…a loss of love but not attributed to you. The Fool in reverse shows me that something is holding you back from true fulfillment with this woman you want. The Moon upright tells me that there is anxiety about you being able to keep this lover and she is feeling this anxiety and hesitation from you."

She tapped the last card.

"Strength upright shows me that you are willing to do whatever it takes to make this relationship work. You really are into this woman, and deep down you know she can bring you to a higher level of love that you would like to experience…"

Her fingers touched each card.

"The position of the cards is called a relationship cross. This card here and this other card represents your place in the relationship and that of your woman—"

"Ebony, her name is Ebony," Caddo said.

"This bottom card and this middle card represents the foundation of your love and the problem with Ebony. This top card tells me what the outcome will be."

"And that is?" Monroe interjected, his round eyes nearly bugging out.

"Shh! She's doing me now!" Caddo said pushing Monroe's arm.

"Caddo, the reason why your love life sucks is because someone has put a root on you. Everything I see here is an external force from another individual."

"Who put a root on me? I don't know anybody…did I offend your grandmother some kind of way?"

The panic in Caddo's voice made Erik chuckle nervously.

"My grandmother had nothing to do with this. The power I see is not very strong and might fade eventually, but it will be a long time before it does."

"Who else does stuff like that?" Monroe asked in a panic.

His eyes pleaded with Kris.

"I can't live like this," Monroe snapped.

Erik felt his stomach churn with a deep knowing.

"I think I know what happened," Erik said.

Caddo and Monroe glared at him.

"Speak nigga!" Caddo yelped.

Kris's eyes seemed to penetrate Erik's soul as she watched his face.

"Me and Biandro got into it a month ago when the calves got killed. He told me he hoped we all got dragged with our love lives. He was pissed when he said it. Cursed me out."

Erik's eyes darted away from Kris's stare.

"Biandro can't put a curse on people. This ain't the Color Purple, man," Monroe chastised.

"If a person is deep in their feelings, their words do have power. They can will things to be even if they haven't studied what I know with my grandmother. It's rare but it can happen." Kris said.

"Can you fix it?" Erik asked.

"I can give you oils or make you things that can help, but Biandro has to be the one to reverse it."

Monroe had his cell in his hand before Caddo could pull his out from his pocket.

"Yo…where the hell are you?" Monroe yelled into his phone.

Kris piled her cards together and placed them back in their card box. She slipped them back into her purse and stood up.

"I have to clock in," she said.

Erik glanced at his watch. He needed to get back to the bar.

"Let's go," Monroe said jumping up.

"Go where?" Caddo said.

"Biandro is at the ranch. We're going out there right now."

Monroe pulled out his keys.

"You two are going with us," Monroe said.

"I have to work," Kris protested.

"If he has to take the curse off of us then we all need to be there," Caddo said.

"Kris, you can guide him. If he can't fix it then we'll need you to make us some shit," Monroe said.

Kris looked at Erik.

"The bar can live without you for a minute," Erik conceded.

###

Monroe's gunmetal gray Mercedes rolled up to a high metal gate. Big iron letters spelled out "Caddo Ranch" above it. Monroe hit a button on his dash that caused the gates to open smoothly. Kris sat in the backseat with Caddo and tried not to be so obvious as she stared at all the property the Stevens family owned. They passed by buildings that housed horses and ranch equipment, and also wide-open pastures where she saw regal black horses frolicking in the distance.

Her mouth dropped open when they rolled in front of a modern ranch house that had to be over fifteen thousand square feet and cost the family millions. Monroe parked on the end of the paved circular driveway and they all stepped out of the car.

The front door opened and Miss Nana Rae stepped out. A wide smile stretched her lips when she saw Kris.

"What are you all doing here in the middle of the day?"

"Looking for Biandro," Monroe said.

"Why the gruff tone?" Nana Rae said.

"He put a curse on us," Caddo spat.

"He did what now?"

"We just want to talk to him Nana," Erik said trying to smooth over the tension Caddo and Monroe were carrying in their shoulders.

"He's out on the west side. Did he know you were coming?"

"I called him thirty minutes ago," Monroe said.

"I'm sure he's got a radio on him," she said.

"We'll find him," Erik said.

Monroe and Caddo headed past the ranch house and Erik jogged behind them. Kris followed his heels as Monroe led them all toward an office building near a wide horse stable. Selena stepped out of the building when she saw them through the window.

"What's going on?" Selena asked.

"Here to fix a little problem," Erik said.

Monroe stepped into the office and came right back out with a pair of keys and a radio.

"Where is the office truck parked?" Monroe asked.

"At the end of the storage…wait…hold up…tell me what's happening!"

No one answered Selena.

They piled into a dusty white truck and she was allowed to sit in the front with Monroe as they tore out. She tried to observe more of the ranch, but Monroe was driving fast and the terrain was bumpy.

"Slow down, man," Erik called from the back.

Kris reached up and held onto the coat hanger hook on the side of the roof. They drove pretty far and she observed sheep wandering free and grazing.

"There he is," Erik said.

There was an older black Chevy truck parked near brush and piney trees. Biandro was next to the truck looking through binoculars.

"Be cool now," Erik reasoned as Monroe left the truck and stomped over to his cousin.

Kris took another look around the land. She always thought of ranches as big dry places, but there was so much greenery. And so many trees. As far as her eyes could see there was a lushness to the wide-open space. She pushed back on the urge to go running and screaming with her arms thrown wide open, spinning like she was Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music".

She watched Monroe and Caddo talk to Biandro with animated voices. Biandro himself didn't believe a word they said. Erik stood nearby looking down at the ground. Kris touched her stomach just below her belly button. Her bladder was full. Slipping away from the men, she wandered over into the trees until she was hidden from view. Digging into her pocket, she pulled out a balled-up tissue she had stuffed in her jeans from wiping her hands of water earlier. Unfastening her pants, she squatted down and aimed her urine stream away from her underwear and boots.

"Kris?"

Erik's voice made her stop peeing, her urethra shutting down with a quickness.

"Don't come over here! I'm peeing!" she called out.

When she didn't see him right away, she relaxed her body and finished voiding her bladder. She wiped herself and buried the tissue in the dirt. Pulling up her pants, she tucked in her shirt and zipped herself up.

"Kris…"

Erik stood forty feet away from her staring.

"I told you I was peeing!"

"Kris…don't move—"

"What?"

"Don't fucking move," he said with a harsh bite in his tone.

Kris felt gooseflesh pimple her arms and the back of her neck.

Erik wasn't staring at her…he was looking behind her. Her knees buckled when she heard a deep-throated growling.

"Put your arms high in the air and walk toward me…slowly," he said.

Kris felt tears well up and her vision grew blurry. The growling was louder. Erik kept on watching whatever was behind her. He held his hand toward her.

"Come to me," he whispered.


	11. I Think I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and Kris survive a frightening encounter....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas Eve and Festivus for the Rest of Us.

"We've been together less than a week  
But I swear it seems like two years at least,  
Whether face to face or over the phone,  
When I hear your voice, I'm right at home  
Your so beautiful, more than a man could ever want  
Got me lookin' for, cameras to see if I'm getting punk'd  
Tryin' to take it slow, ain't now sense in lying to me, or to myself

I know it's early, I know it's soon  
But truth be told, I think I love you  
It's unexpected, out of the blue  
But I gotta let you know  
That I think I love you"

Dweli—"I Think I Love You"

Erik's cousins were so busy lighting up Biandro's ass that none of them noticed the fresh tracks or the even fresher lump of scat near the gathering of trees. He picked up a small flimsy twig and broke the scat apart seeing right away that the cougar was probably nearby. His eyes darted back to where he left Kris standing.

She was gone.

He crept down toward where her boot tracks led him and he saw her fixing her pants with her belt. His peripheral caught the tawny fur among the low brush and when he saw white at the throat and the large head, he told Kris to be still until he could see if the animal had a rear escape.

Erik told her to raise her hands so she could make herself look bigger and when she made cautious steps toward him, he could see she was teary-eyed.

"It'll be okay, keep walking…just like that. Don't look back…"

When she passed him, he kept his body facing the cougar so it would focus on him.

"Go straight to the truck," he said with a gentle voice.

He heard her feet trample through fallen leaves and dry patches of grass, and when he felt she was a good distance, Erik began to back away from the area himself. He was almost past the trees when the cougar charged.

"Run!" he screamed at Kris.

His agile body took off, long legs sprinting, thigh muscles pumping with adrenaline. He caught up to Kris as he heard his cousins shout with fear and surprise. Kris was doing her best to get away, but they were on a slope and she struggled with what appeared to be her last burst of energy. He couldn't let the animal overtake her. Reaching out, Erik lifted her by her waist as he ran and threw her onto the back of the truck bed. He grabbed for the side of the truck himself as he felt the first sinking of claws into his shoe. He jerked his leg as hard as he could and felt the dragging of the heavy paw before it ripped off his left sneaker.

The report of a rifle firing rang out.

Erik reached for Kris.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she said. Her lips trembled and then her eyes looked down at his foot.

"You're bleeding Erik!"

Her hands grabbed at his ankle and he hissed when he finally felt the full brunt of his injury. Blood coated the back of the truck and he took off his t-shirt to staunch the flow. The wound stung more than anything and Kris did her best to push more pressure onto his hand.

"How bad is it?" Monroe asked looking into the bed of the truck.

Erik saw Biandro aiming the rifle in the direction the cougar ran off to back into the trees.

"Lemme see," Erik told Kris.

Kris didn't want to release her hands, but he pried them away to look at his foot.

He lucked out.

His missing sneaker took the worst of the blow. A long open tear on the side of his ankle bled out, but no ligaments were torn. He'd need some stitches. He pressed his t-shirt back on the wound with Kris's help. Caddo tossed his ripped shoe into the truck.

"Damn, I just got those," Erik joked.

His cousins laughed and the frightening energy let up a bit.

"I hit it, but it's still moving," Biandro said checking out the trail of blood drops the big cat left behind.

"That fucker was huge," Monroe quipped.

"Out here living good," Caddo said keeping his rifle out for it too.

"Kris…I'm okay," Erik said.

He rubbed her arm and she leaned up against him. She tried reaching down to touch his ankle again.

"I got it," he whispered and she nodded.

Caddo brought out a first aid kit from inside the cab. He let down the back of the truck and climbed up onto the truck bed to dress Erik's ankle. Thick gauze was wrapped around the injury and Erik sat back against the rear panel.

"Let's get you back," Caddo said.

"I'll stay back here," Erik said.

Caddo reached for Kris's hand to help her down from the bed.

"I'll stay back here with him," she said.

She scooted back on her rump to be next to him.

"Me and Monroe are going to track it and try to kill it," Biandro said.

Monroe had the radio in his hand and Erik watched them head toward the trees.

Caddo jumped into the driver's seat of the truck and started up the engine. They rumbled along and Kris's shoulder bumped against his.

"That thing would've torn me to pieces if you didn't pick me up," she said.

"Did I hurt you?"

She rubbed her knees.

"I'm fine. How are you doing?"

"I'll be okay. Had worse."

"Worse than a cougar attacking you?"

Erik leaned forward so she could see his back. Eight inches of dark rounded scar tissue sat below the left side, right above the waist of his jeans.

"What happened there?" she asked touching him.

"Nearly gored to death by a bull after falling off of it."

Her eyes darted up to his face as he sat back.

"Just adding to my collection."

The truck bounced them a bit and Kris grabbed onto his arm. She rested her warm cheek against his deltoid muscle and he felt himself relax and forget all about the throbbing pain in his foot.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you when I thought you were watching me pee."

Erik laughed out loud.

"I was looking for you, but only because I thought the cougar was close. You disappeared."

Erik looked down at her and she had her eyes closed while she leaned on him. They shook, rattled, and rolled along until the truck stopped in front of his house. Nana Rae and Pop Pop were waiting for him on the porch.

"Erik!" Nana Rae shrieked when she saw him hobble off of the truck bed with Kris's help. The gauze was soaked through with his blood.

"Dr. Robinson is on his way!" she said reaching for his arm.

"I can walk, Nana," he said.

She held him up anyway with Kris flanking his other side. He was guided into his place and his grandfather paced in front of him when he sat down on his couch. Nana Rae rushed into his bathroom and brought back a dark blue towel and wrapped it around the gauze. The radio on her hip crackled to life.

"Can't find it, Nana," Monroe said with a faraway voice.

"Get on back here then," she said.

Erik watched the tension in his grandparent's face spill over into Kris who sat on his loveseat looking worn out.

"Can you get her something to drink?" he asked his grandfather.

"Sure."

Pop Pop went into his kitchen.

"Was there any sign of buried food?" Nana Rae asked.

"I didn't see anything," he said.

"Biandro said it was a big son of a bitch."

"It was."

"Did you see it?" Nana Rae asked Kris.

"No really. I was running for my life. I caught a glimpse when Erik jumped onto the truck, but I was focused on him…and his foot."

Pop Pop handed Kris a coke and passed a large glass of whiskey to Erik.

The sound of a car pulled up in his carport and he heard Dr. Robinson grunt as he pulled himself from his mini-van. Nana Rae had the door open before the older shaggy gray-haired white man could knock.

Erik hobbled into his bedroom with the doctor and Pop Pop. Propping his leg up on three thick bath towels, he watched Dr. Robinson sterilize his ankle.

Erik gritted his teeth as the man stitched up part of the wound and used medical glue for the rest. Dr. Robinson handed him extra-strength Tylenol for the pain and wrapped the wound carefully afterward. Erik stuck the pills on his nightstand.

"Lucky man," Dr. Robinson said.

"I know it."

"It's rare for cougars to attack folks. What were you doing?"

"We just stumbled upon it by accident."

"Huh."

Dr. Robinson patted Erik's shoulder.

"Come see me in a couple of days. Keep it clean and change the bandages as needed. If it bleeds through, call me right away."

Erik sat on his bed for a few minutes after the doctor left. He could hear his grandparents talking to him outside.

A tap at his bedroom door made him look up.

"Can I come in?"

Kris watched him with bright eyes. There was still worry on her face. She carried another glass of whiskey for him.

"I was washing my hands in the kitchen again and your grandfather said to bring you this."

He took the libation and tossed it back. It burned his throat but he felt no real pain. She took the glass back from him.

"Sit down," he said.

Her eyes fluttered around looking at his bedroom set-up before she took a seat next to him.

"All stitched up and no permanent damage," he said lifting his leg.

"Good."

"I'll pay for your time away from work today."

"Thanks."

"I know you're trying to save money."

"How do you know that?"

"Brandy told me?"

"When?"

Her eyes looked annoyed and a little embarrassed.

"That's not important—"

"She shouldn't be telling all my business."

Kris stood up. He pulled on her hand to make her sit down again.

"She wasn't telling your business. Everybody needs money, girl."

"Not you," she said looking around again.

"I do alright."

"This place is gorgeous…the entire ranch."

"You've only seen a little bit of it."

His eyes dropped down to his ankle.

"Was getting injured part of the curse Biandro put on me?"

"No."

Her sweet face lost the tension she had been holding in it. That cute Tinker Bell energy made him feel warm inside. Or maybe it was the whiskey drenching his bloodstream. Two big double shots had him straight. His eyes felt like they were floating in liquid. He forgot to eat again.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine."

He leaned close to her.

"We sure had an adventure today. Um, I'll have Caddo drive you back. Take the rest of the day off—"

"I can't do that. Blue has a tight schedule for tonight. I'll go to work."

"Okay."

Her eyes studied his.

"Are you drunk?"

"I drink only top shelf—"

"You didn't eat again, huh?"

She grinned at him and her dimpled chin hypnotized him. He raised up his right thumb and touched it. Kris held her breath.

"Tell me, how long could we be cursed for? Will I never have a woman again?"

She smiled and pulled her head back but he cradled her chin and pulled her closer.

"Tell me…"

"I don't know—"

He kissed her.

Softly at first.

Pushing his full lips against her mouth, he tried to wrap his left arm around her waist but she jammed her hands into his chest forcing him away from her. Leaping off the bed, she wiped her mouth and looked away from him.

"I'm going to put this in the kitchen and then find Caddo. Get better soon."

She rushed out of his bedroom and he heard Nana Ray and Pop Pop enter his house again. He couldn't make out exactly what she said to them, but she was gone when he wandered back into his living room.

"You should be resting that foot!" Nana Rae scolded.

"Did Kris go with Caddo?"

"Selena is giving her a ride back to the bar. Get on back there!"

Erik went back into his bedroom and berated himself for running Kris away. He could blame it on the alcohol if it was necessary, but he wanted to kiss her. She made him feel some kind of way that had nothing to do with anything physical.

###

"Where you been?"

Jordan stood next to her as she clocked in at the bar.

"Long story," she said.

Kris tied on her apron and grabbed an order pad stuffing it into her apron pocket.

"Ivy said you left with Erik and his cousins. Where did you go?"

Jordon's eyes were demanding an explanation. She had him follow her to her station near the punching bags in case anyone was trying to ear hustle their conversation. No new customers were seated in her area yet and another server had covered the three booths and two tables she was responsible for.

"I read some tarot cards for them and then they had to go see their other cousin about it."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Erik and Monroe made me go with them."

"But why?"

"I'll tell you about it later—"

"You were gone for like five hours."

"I'm still being paid for them. Can we talk later…please?"

Jordan's forehead was creased and his lips were thrust out in the way they got when he was upset with her.

"What did you go do?"

"Jordan! Let me work. It was no big deal—"

"That's not what I heard."

Rekia swept over to them with her new finger wave hairdo. For some reason, that style was coming back hard in Mariscal. Kris was tempted to try it as a new look herself. Her hair wasn't cooperating with any of the styles she tried the last three weeks in the Texas heat. Perhaps plastering it down like a helmet was the answer.

"What did you hear?" Jordan asked.

"They got attacked by a cougar on the ranch."

"Kris…what the hell? You okay?"

"I'm fine. Erik was the one attacked."

"What were you doing on a ranch?"

"Thanks a lot, Rekia."

"What? We all want to know the story. None of us have ever been there," Rekia snapped.

Thankfully, a large group was seated at one of her booths and Kris busied herself taking orders and moving over to the bar. Jordan had his eye on her all night and each time she thought of Erik blindly kissing her in a drunken stupor, she felt guilty. After an hour of working, she had to admit to herself that Erik wasn't drunk. She'd seen him knock back several shots and mixed drinks on an empty stomach at work and he had still been in control of his faculties.

He wanted to kiss her.

A chill down her back made her shake her shoulders with nervous energy. Each time she looked over at Jordan as he made his rounds, she wondered if he could tell that something was off with her that had nothing to do with the cougar.

She was not Erik's type. He joked with her at work and flirted with other women. He even joked with Jordan sometimes when some customers grew ridiculous after one too many drinks. Maybe he was really nervous about losing his Midas touch with women and she was just there for him to test. Maybe it was the shock from being wounded and that was just a weird one-off situation. Kris tried her best not to let it bother her as she worked. She almost forgot about it until Brandy walked in.

"Hey girl," Brandy said when Kris met her at the bar.

Her cousin's eyes looked around.

"I thought Erik was working tonight," Brandy said.

"Uh…something came up…"

Blue walked over to her holding up a cordless phone.

"Erik is on the office phone for you," Blue said.

Kris took the cordless from him as Brandy stared at her. She wasn't the only one.

Jordan glared at her from the end of the bar.


	12. Disconnect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Biandro meets with Kris...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas Eve!

"You think I don't know when to call it quits  
How could I not know after all this here  
I spent so much time tryna find a signal but  
It's safe to say it's no good  
A nigga need to roll up

No, I don't wanna piss you off  
No, I ain't tryna make you yell  
Girl why you wanna kick me outta my natural element  
No, I don't wanna piss you off  
I ain't tryna make you yell  
Now why you wanna kick me outta my natural element"

6lack – "Disconnect"

Kris gripped the cordless in her hand and walked back into the manager's office with it.

"Kris?"

His voice sounded breathy and all she envisioned was his lips on hers. She felt uncomfortable but she didn't think she could refuse his call. He was the boss and he called on a work line.

"Yeah?"

"Today was crazy, but can you meet with me and my cousins at the bar tomorrow?"

"I'm not working tomorrow."

Silence.

"Can you come to the ranch then?"

"I can't. I'm having a thing at my house tomorrow."

"A thing?"

She closed her eyes and rubbed her hand against her thigh.

"I'm having a fish fry with some co-workers so I won't be available."

"Oh."

"How is your ankle?"

"Better. I'll be up and around tomorrow."

Kris's eyes glanced around the office. Blue had pictures of him and Erik on the wall behind his desk. Erik's beaming smile was so wide. He had saved her life. Picked her up in his powerful arms and made sure she was okay as a wild animal nearly ripped off his leg. She turned away from the wall and touched her forehead.

"How about this…you all come over to the fish fry. I can help you out and feed you for saving me."

"I don't want to make people uncomfortable—"

"We're just eating and playing spades. It'll be fine."

"What time?"

"Anytime after two."

"Okay. I'll let them know. Talk to you later."

He hung up and she held the phone to her ear until Blue walked back in. She set the cordless back onto the charger on the desk.

"All good?" Blue asked.

"Yeah."

"Y'all were lucky today," he said.

"You know about the cougar?"

"Erik called and told me. He let me know why you were so late."

"I better get back out there and make up for lost time," she said.

"Kris?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad you're working here. I hear nothing but good things from the customers."

He reached for his laptop and hit a button to take it out of sleep mode.

"Check this out."

Kris moved closer to the desk and Blue directed her attention to the saloon's web page. He scrolled to a comments section.

"Kris was our server last Friday night and we want to let your establishment know how much fun we had with her taking care of our party. She was funny, courteous, and made sure we had anything we needed to make our visit enjoyable. We'll definitely be back. You are so lucky to have great employees! Thank you for a great time!"

Blue looked at her after reading.

"I get a lot of these lately. Some of the staff are fighting to have you work in their stations because the tips are higher. Nice job."

"Thanks."

"I'm thinking about having you work the front more with Rekia. You two do well together."

"Great."

She walked out of the office feeling good about herself. Kris was still getting the hang of the place, but she was grateful to have supportive co-workers that she got along with. A lot of them looked forward to her fish fry gatherings with Jordan and she felt bad that many of them couldn't attend because of their work schedules.

Back at the bar, Brandy was getting an earful from Rekia and when her eyes caught, Kris, her cousin jumped up from her seat.

"How come you didn't tell me you and Erik were attacked?!"

"Lower your voice."

Brandy snagged an empty round table in front of the bar. Kris glanced back at her section and saw that her guests were fine.

Brandy had her cell out.

"I'm calling Erik myself."

Kris touched her phone, pushing it down onto the table.

"He's resting right now. He called to ask me to help his cousins on Saturday."

"Help them with what?"

"I gave them a reading and it didn't turn out so good. I'm going to give them some things—"

"I don't care about all that hoodoo and tarot stuff. You should've called me—"

"It all happened fast and I was caught up. Erik was lucky—"

"Why were you there with him?"

Heat bloomed in Kris's cheeks. Brandy's earnest eyes were filled with questions.

"I gave Caddo a reading and found out some stuff about his cousin Biandro. So they took me out to see Biandro—"

"To do what?"

"Biandro accidentally put something on them that is making their love lives bad. They want me to fix it for them."

"Love lives…Erik too?"

Brandy smirked.

"You've been ignoring him, so I guess it's bad."

Her cousin cackled.

"He wants you to fix it so that I run to him?"

"You aren't exactly the only—"

"The only what?"

Kris looked away.

"No…come on say it."

Brandy's flippant voice made Kris flinch.

"You know he sees other people."

"Sees them, but he doesn't want them. Cream always rises to the top."

Brandy tossed back her flat-ironed dark brown hair and waved over a server in that section.

"They're coming over Saturday."

"Good. You can watch me cuff him up."

The sneer on Brandy's lip made Kris want to tell her that Erik kissed her. Her cousin was always acting highfalutin for no reason. She was indeed gorgeous, educated, and self-sufficient, but she could be so blind with men. Especially men like Erik. Brandy wanted to be the HBIC. Head Bitch In Charge. Kris knew Erik wasn't built for that type of relationship. He belonged to the streets marking up territory with his dick wherever he saw fit. He tried to lure her in for fun, but Kris wasn't falling for it.

Returning to her booths, Kris worked the remainder of her shift and made decent tips. She waited for Jordan in the parking lot when his shift was over, and as she watched him stroll over to her carrying a bag of food from the kitchen, she admired the relaxed smile on his face. Working had turned his entire life mood around. He was happier and paid for their bills so that Brandy could stay out of their financial stress. He was due to fly to California after she returned from North Carolina for his interviews, and the freelance consultant job worked out well for him.

"Quesadillas and carne aside tacos," Jordan said.

"Yay."

"Rekia and Blue told me what happened. I'm sorry I was a dick about jumping on you right when you came in. I was worried and you didn't answer my calls."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away."

"Let's just be thankful that you're fine."

Jordan bent down and kissed her.

"Let's go home."

He drove her car to the house and Kris tried to step out of the passenger side. Jordan grabbed her arm.

"Just wait a minute," he said.

"What?"

His eyes flickered over to the front door and then he looked back at her.

"Come sit on my lap," he said pushing the driver's seat back.

"Why?"

"We never have any privacy."

He grabbed her harm and forced her to straddle his thighs. His lips found her neck and his hands cupped her breasts.

"Let's take this into the house," she said.

"Brandy is in there and she's always up…"

His tongue wiggled in her ear as he unfastened her bra strap from the back. Pushing up her shirt, her full breasts fell against his chest. He tossed the bra onto the passenger seat.

Jordan's need to be more sexual with her increased with his having money in his pocket now. Their schedules flip-flopped he took her when he could. His tongue circled around her left nipple as he squeezed her right breast.

"Take your pants off…and those panties," he panted in her ear.

He helped her scoot back over into the passenger seat so she could take off her boots and shimmy out of her skinny jeans. It took her some time to get them off and when she finally had her bottom half-naked, Jordan's black chino pants were already down by his knees with his underwear. He held up his slender light brown curved dick and she could see that his foreskin had peeled back on its own because he was rock hard. He had a slim jim, but it was long. His nutsack was drawn up tight and ready to release.

"I'm not wet enough yet," she whispered darting her eyes around to make sure no neighbors could see them with a security light from the porch flooding into the front of the car windshield.

Jordan reached over and played with her folds and tweaked her clit. He didn't play with it long enough. His left hand fisted his stiffness as he manipulated her pussy lips that spread open on their own.

"You're dripping now baby."

Jordan dragged two fingers along her shaved mound.

"I like it when you keep your pussy bald."

She gave him a sweet smile but she internally rolled her eyes thinking of the razor bumps she had to sometimes endure just to feel sexy.

He sank his wandering fingers into her slit and moaned.

"Oh…Kris…you're ready baby," he hissed pulling her back over to him.

He lifted her easily and she squatted over his dick as he lined himself up with her opening. Dropping down, she took in the first three inches.

"Yes, baby. Fuck me…" he gasped.

She adjusted and sat down gently. Jordan gave her shallow thrusts to ease her into a steady rhythm. When she felt more lubricated, she sank down on him further.

"Take your time," he said.

Feeling more aroused, she concentrated on his face, but he was focused on her tits bouncing against his shirt. He gave a hard jab deep inside of her and she raised up.

"Easy, Jordan, I'm still—"

"I got you…I got you…ah fuck baby…tight pussy…"

It took her a long time to finally be able to sit all the way down on his dick with his balls slapping against her backside. By then, he was pushing her back making her bounce on his erection as he stared at her breasts jiggling harder from her exertion.

"I'm cumming! Push those titties together!" he shouted.

Jordan pulled out and jerked off against her stomach as she lifted her breasts and juggled them in her hands for him. His face turned a darker coppery brown as he grit his teeth.

"Ohhh….ohhhhh…ohhhh…" he moaned.

His glans had swollen bigger and his foreskin looked like it was strangling his tip in a turtleneck grip. It was lighter than his length and she watched it spew pre-cum over his fingers.

Jordan kept stroking and moaning and staring while she smacked her titties together for him. He shouted her name twice and she encouraged him with nasty words before he ejaculated all over her stomach and the underside of her breasts. Resting her forehead on his, Jordan's hand kept playing with his dick squeezing out whatever he had left.

"Oh, you were so good…" he crooned in her hair.

He wound down as she sat on his lap still feeling the tension in her clit that wouldn't release. It sat swollen against his sweaty balls. Tapping three fingers against her lower back, he shifted her weight off of him.

"Let's go in," he said.

Jordan fixed his pants and Kris put hers back on feeling his cum wet up her clothes. Once they were in their bed together, she listened to Jordan snore next to her as she tried playing with her nub. Her mind and body were exhausted by the day, so she gave up playing with herself and snuggled up against her man's side and slept.

###

Fish grease popped along with the music inside the little white house.

Kris pulled cornbread from the oven as her co-workers pulled apart cornmeal fried whiting and Brandy's four-cheese macaroni. Everyone talked and joked in the back yard sitting on old tan metal folding chairs.

Kris fanned herself with a paper plate to cool down when she saw Monroe, Caddo, Biandro, and Erik standing outside the open front door peeking through the locked screen door.

"Hey!" she said walking over and letting them inside.

Monroe handed her two bottles of fancy white wine and Kris saw nothing but big wide grins from all of them. Lord. Those Stevens men had smiles to seduce birds out of the trees.

"Just in time to get some food," she said pointing to the kitchen where the spread was laid out for everyone.

They were not shy about tucking in and she was glad that she made Jordan buy extra of everything because these fools were piling up sky high. They went outside where the others greeted them with warm smiles and shouts of "Hey now!" Kris watched Brandy act coy with Erik as she sauntered over to him. The two of them talked and her cousin looked like she was indeed the cream of the crop. After the initial mingling, Biandro wandered over to her.

"Do you believe I'm at fault?"

He wasn't wasting any time getting down to business.

"Come with me," she said.

Biandro followed her to a small side room that she used as an office and to do the readings for her co-workers. It was right next to the living room and had a window that looked out onto the street outside. It was too small to be another bedroom or a real sitting room but the nice lighting and her decorations made it look like a sacred space that was inviting for anyone. She used a small card table in there covered with a thick mud cloth print tablecloth with two yellow tulip chairs and orange cushioned seats facing across each other.

"Sit down," she said.

Biandro took a seat and she studied him. He had the softest looking and saddest looking eyes she had ever seen on a man. His wide pyramid-like nose and fleshy lips softened the intense stare he gave her. He had a face that reminded her of Black folks back in the 70s photos her grandmother had in her photo album. A handsome old school face. One of those throwback genes that made him look wise and understanding. But there was so much pain there. She picked up sorrow as thick as blackstrap molasses wafting off of his aura. Granny May was better at aural color readings than she was, but she was able to catch flashes of it when she concentrated. Biandro gave her glimpses of a pale murky orange. Low self-esteem. Obsessive behavior.

His eyes glanced down at her tarot cards already sitting in a neat stack next to some other tools.

"I don't really believe in this stuff," he finally said sitting back.

He didn't fold his arms across his chest, but his energy did. Defensive already.

"You don't have to. But that doesn't negate its power."

His eyes had a glint in them when she said that.

"My Nana told me that the other day."

"She's besties with my Granny so she knows what's up."

She leaned forward a bit.

"You're the oldest out of your male cousins."

"Erik tell you that?"

"No. Selena. You are very protective of them and they look up to you. That's your power," she said.

She reached into her coochie cutter shorts and pulled out her green lighter and lit the two candles on the table. She moved very slow and deliberate. Lulling him in. People always lowered their defenses when she began to create a circle of protection around them. The dark blue incense bottle to her right curled out white smoke as she lit up the dragon's blood incense stick stuck inside of it. The cloying aroma of vanilla and spices filled the small room. It reminded her of the odor of her grandmother's other house.

"Tell me exactly what you said to Erik in anger."

Biandro gave a deep annoyed sigh.

"I didn't say all that much—"

"Tell me what you said. At least what you can remember."

Biandro's eyes darted to the right of her face as his mind tried to pull back the unwitting conjuring he did.

"I said….I said….I told…"

"Take your time, Biandro."

"I told him that he and my other cousins play with women. They don't respect them. They never have. They fuck around with as many as they can because that's all they want to do. I only want the mother of my child."

"What else?"

"I told him that he didn't know real love. He wouldn't know it if it smacked him in his slick face…"

Biandro clasped his hands together in his lap.

"Relax your hands," she encouraged.

He rested his hands on his thighs. Those sad eyes trapped her with their dew-like glow.

"I told Erik that I hoped he got his heart broken and dragged like mine. I said that for all of them, but Erik is the main one. He's too…callous. I hate that about him more than anything."

"I see."

"I've cursed him and the others out before. Their female trouble is just natural law catching up to them. I didn't put no bad juju on them."

Kris smiled.

"Biandro, you have a natural gift within you that I can see even without using my cards. Because you are looked up to by the others, your words to them carry tremendous force. You put a root on them by accident. Your anger was justified, and your intention to vent that anger to Erik was not meant to be malicious, but they stuck onto him. Imagine that Erik, Caddo, and Monroe have sticky paper on their chests. Most of the time that sticky paper isn't strong enough to hold onto anything so stuff drops away from it or bounces off of it. But when something is directed with so much power toward it…whew! It catches everything. Your cousins are walking around with sticky paper full of junk that you put there. You have to help them get it off."

Biandro chuckled.

"I told you I don't believe this stuff—"

"But you believe in love, right?"

"I do."

"Even when the object of that love isn't in front of you?"

"What that mean?"

"Monette. She's not here. You don't see her at all. So since you don't see her, then love must not be present since she's not here—"

"That's not the same—"

"Touch your heart…go ahead…touch it…"

"This is—"

"Touch it."

Biandro placed his right hand over his heart.

"Feel it?"

"It's beating—"

"Monette. Do you feel her there?"

Biandro's eyes regarded her for a moment with a bewildered look.

"She's not physically present in front of you, but do you feel her there? What about your little boy? He's not in front of you either, but do you feel him inside of that muscle with her? Do you feel their power in there?"

His bottom lip quivered and then water pressed from his eyelids.

"I do!"

He burst into tears and covered his face with his hands. Kris stood and walked around the table and knelt by his seat. She placed a loving arm around his shoulder and allowed him to cry with just her touch to comfort the release.

Kris gave him plenty of time to purge it all and when his breathing became less ragged, she lifted his chin up.

"You can feel all of that, but you don't believe that you have put something on your cousins that they can feel and that affects them even when you're not around them?"

Biandro's red eyes revealed an understanding. But it revealed something else. He relished that power now.

"They deserve to feel failure now," he said.

Pushing his back against the tulip chair, his eyes were wide with mirth behind them.

"That's not right," she said going back to her chair.

"I don't care. This is a good lesson for them to learn. I'm not reversing anything!"

A tap at the entrance of the room drew Kris's attention. Brandy stood there with a grin on her face.

"Everyone wants you to come outside and re-enact the whole cougar attack. Monroe and Caddo are telling the story and it's so good. I mean, it was scary for you, but we want to live all the drama!"

"Be there in a minute," Kris said.

Brandy left them.

Biandro stood up and headed for the front door.

"Where are you going?"

"Taking a walk. Clear my head. I know you want to help them and you can do any of your hoodoo stuff if you want."

She watched him leave.

"Kris!"

The shouts from the backyard beckoned her.

Kris stepped out onto the back porch and saw her co-workers and the Stevens men watching her. Her eyes were stuck on Erik. Biandro wanted him to suffer the most. His soft dimples appeared in his cheeks as he pointed to where he wanted her to stand for the re-enactment.

Poor thing.

He had no clue the mess he was in because of his fuckboi ways.

Kris was pretty sure she could ward off the troubles that Caddo and Monroe had with a few Florida Water sprays and rue soap to bathe in as well as some crystals to keep on them.

But Erik.

She would have to make him a mojo bag until Biandro could release his hold on him.

Erik's hands circled her waist again as they did at the ranch. She could feel his fingers digging into her flesh and she felt the thrill of his strength once more as he lifted her up. When he dropped her back down to her feet and joked about how her face looked, she punched him in his chest playfully.

"We both thought we were goners!" he said eliciting laughter from everyone.

She rolled her eyes and Erik crowded her for a second before pushing back and grabbing a beer from a cooler. She turned and walked toward the back porch. Brandy grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the side of the house.

"What's up with that?" Brandy asked.

"What's up with what-?"

"I thought you weren't interested in him."

"I'm not."

"Does he know that? Because it looked like you two were feeling each other, Kris. Did anything else happen up at that ranch?"

Her cousin's height blocked out the sun from Kris's face and she tried to figure out from her body language if Brandy was upset or just inquisitive. Her energy felt neutral.

"Brandy, we work together and we experienced a terrifying thing together. I've gotten comfortable around him. And no…I'm not feeling him. Are you kidding? Look at my man."

Jordan stood near Erik and Caddo and her boyfriend was gesticulating wildly like he was telling one of his terrible jokes. Both Erik and Caddo ran away with laughter when they heard the punchline and Jordan held his stomach as he fell out laughing too.

"I have Jordan. Tall, gorgeous, and in love with me."

"Are you sure? I'm not trying to have a blood feud with my favorite cousin over some dude—"

"I have a man. You want him…have at him."

Kris left Brandy outside as she went into the house. She walked back into her tarot card room and was about to blow out the candles when she felt the urge to do a reading.

For herself.


	13. Black Magic Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris uses her hoodoo skills for the Stevens men, but especially for Erik.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

"I'm a black magic woman  
I'm a black magic woman  
I'm got a black magic woman  
I got you so blind, you can't see  
Yes I'm a black magic woman  
And your tryna make a devil outta me

Don't turn your back on me, baby  
Don't turn your back on me, baby  
Don't turn your back on me, baby  
Cuz I'm messing around with my tricks  
Don't turn your back on me, baby  
You just might be my magic stick"

Helen Ibe – "Black Magic Woman" (Santana cover)

Kris rubbed her hands together until they were extra warm before she shuffled the tarot deck.

The sound of activity in the back yard was muffled and she stared at the candle on her left to center herself and her breathing.

What did she want to know?

That Jordan and her love would stay strong despite the set-backs? That they would be financially well off soon in California? Would she feel unstuck?

Being in Texas gave her a calm she hadn't known in a long time, but her relationship with Jordan had been strained with their monetary woes. Now that they were both working and putting some money aside, was this enough to put them back in balance?

Kris used a ten-card Celtic Cross spread on the table. When her fingers flipped over the tenth card that would show the potential outcome of her inquiry, it was a Major Arcana card. Death. In reverse. Studying the card and then looking back at each card in the cross, Kris was faced with disappointment. Change was coming and she was going to be resistant to it—

"You plan on staying indoors all day?"

Jordan peeked at her from the narrow doorway. He held a can of 7-Up for her to see and brought it over to her. He sat in the chair across from her and watched her drink the soda. His eyes dropped down to look at her cards.

"Take a break from this. It's draining you. I see it on your face. I feel like everyone comes over more to get your readings instead of chilling nowadays."

"Last one today. I promise."

He held his arms out to her and she walked around the table to sit on his lap. Kissing her cheek, Jordan stroked her thigh and held her close.

"You really almost died," he whispered.

Kris put her soda on the table.

"Hearing the whole story…if you had been left alone longer while you were peeing…"

"Don't think about it."

"They said it's still out there on their property somewhere. Scary."

Kris's eyes flitted across the cards.

"We're okay, right?" she asked.

"Yeah."

He pulled out his phone and swiped it. Bringing up his bank's website, he entered his password code and showed her his bank deposit.

"This freelance money dropped today," he said.

Kris broke out into a wide smile and kissed his cheek twice.

"You can quit working at TLS," he said.

"But we can still save more with me working there—"

"I want you to relax. I'll keep working there and save. You should be spending time with your grandmother and family here. When we move it might be a minute before you can get back here."

"I like working at TLS, it pays well and I have fun. I still see family here enough."

"You don't have to be there—"

"I want to."

"Okay."

Jordan's lips planted themselves on her mouth and she kissed him with a feeling of relief. He was confident. Reassuring. Concerned about her being with family. Perhaps the resistance to change she saw in the cards was something minor. She relaxed into the kiss more and Jordan's hand slipped under her ratty t-shirt and fondled her right breast. His head dipped low as he pulled up her shirt revealing her satin bra cup. He pushed the cup aside and tongued her nipple until it pebbled into a tiny peak.

She heard feet moving into the living room and grabbed her bra cup to cover herself. She pulled down her shirt just as Erik popped his head into the room.

"Aye…" he said.

Erik's eyes swept to her chest but moved over to the cards behind her as she jumped off of Jordan's lap.

"Sorry to interrupt—"

The front door opened and Biandro stepped back in. Those sad eyes glossed over Erik before he headed to the back door ignoring everyone else. Jordan gave her a look before he stood up from his seat.

"I just wanted to know if you needed to see me or Monroe to uh, y'know…fix this situation we got going on."

"I won't be long, Jordan," she said.

Jordan nodded and left the two of them alone.

"You might wanna fix your shirt better…" Erik said holding his right finger up to his lips like he was embarrassed to mention it.

Kris glanced down and saw that she did a poor job of covering her midsection completely. Her shirt was still partially bunched under her chest. She turned away from him and fixed it properly before she sat back in her seat. Monroe and Caddo wandered into the room by then, all three men looking like wounded puppies needing guidance.

"Biandro won't take back what he said about you three."

"That motherfuck—"

"Why the hell—"

"This some bull—"

Kris held up her hand to quiet them.

"He doesn't feel supported by the three of you with his situation. He's in deep pain and it will take him time to let it go."

"What can we do until he does?" Monroe asked.

"Don't jump down his throat for one," she said while piling her tarot cards.

Caddo and Erik glanced at each other as Monroe closed his eyes for a second.

"Like I told you before, I can make you some things to help you."

"How fast can you make stuff?" Erik asked.

She glanced over at a large calendar and took note of when the next full moon would be.

"I have some ingredients available here, it'll take me about two days to get everything else prepared. I'll also have to get some extra anointed oil from my grandmother though for Erik. Most of this is directed at him so he'll need stronger medicine that I don't have on me."

"I don't get it. We've been telling him the same shit for eight years. Now he wants to curse us?" Erik said.

"People have a breaking point," Kris said.

Kris looked at each and every one of them.

"Be gentle with him. He's projecting and you all received the shrapnel. I'm surprised that he actually came over here with you guys. I'll do what I can…but it's going to cost you."

"Whatchu mean?" Erik asked.

"I'm not doing all this for free. It takes me time and effort to prepare things, and I want to be compensated."

Erik grinned.

"We hear ya. How much?" Caddo said.

Kris squinted at all of them and scrunched up her nose as she took in to account the herbs she'd have to steep, the spray bottles she'd have to pick up from the craft store, and the crystals she'd have to buy and energize.

"Caddo and Monroe fifty dollars. Erik…seventy-five."

Monroe whistled and laughed at Erik.

"If you don't have cash, I take credit cards, debit cards…"

All three men dug into their wallets and pulled out cash. Kris took the money in her hand and stood up.

"I'll have what you need with instructions by next weekend. Let me get you some change, Caddo—"

"Naw, keep it. I'm good."

"I'll bring everything to work with me and you can pick it up there when it's ready," she said.

Kris left the room to put the money away in her bedroom sock drawer. Some of her co-workers moved to the living room with folding chairs from outside and set up the card table. She moved back outside to check on the others and Biandro sat near the porch talking to Rekia and Brandy. His cousins grabbed more food and sat around the yard talking and enjoying the ambiance. Erik took a seat next to Brandy, but Kris saw no signs of him being cuffed by her cousin. Brandy tossed her hair and touched his thigh, brought him sodas to drink and more food to keep him seated, but Erik was a social butterfly. Moving between the yard and the living room, he completely disappeared from Brandy's grasp when he and Monroe teamed up to play spades against Jordan and Kadir a male server who had the biggest belly laugh that always cracked Kris up at work.

Kris started putting food away in the kitchen once everyone had scavenged for their to-go plates. Brandy stomped into the room as Jordan moved the stereo speakers back into the living room from outside.

"Watch the cords," Kris told Brandy.

"He's getting on my nerves," Brandy hissed to her.

"What he do?"

"Nothing. He's just being a dud. He wants to play cards and talk to people."

"It is a social gathering for people to mingle. It's not a date."

"He hasn't seen me since he took me out. He was blowing up my phone days ago."

Jordan walked back in and gave Kris a big smooch on the lips. He grabbed some extension cords and moved around Brandy. Kris slapped his butt and he slapped hers back. Brandy folded her arms and leaned against the refrigerator.

"I don't know what to tell you, Brandy. You know how he moves."

Kris could feel a smirk dying to come out. Brandy really thought she was hemming that man up earlier, and she couldn't even get him in the same room with her now.

"His loss."

"He's probably worried about his cousin and trying to interact with him a little bit instead."

"He's being petty. I'm going to my room."

Brandy flounced out of the kitchen and Erik didn't even look up from his cards as she swept past him to get to her bedroom.

They kept it an early night and ended the gathering by nine. Biandro seemed to be cordial to his cousins by then and she could tell they were all being on their best behavior for him. Jordan and Kris watched their guests leave from the front porch. Erik waved to them as he climbed into Monroe's car.

"Another success," Jordan said wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yep."

Closing the door behind them, Jordan set out to clean up the rest of the kitchen. Kris went to Brandy's bedroom door and knocked softly.

"Bran?"

"What?"

"Can I come in?"

Kris heard footsteps and Brandy opened the door. She was already wearing pajamas.

"Are you going to mope all night?"

"No."

"Good."

"I just want some dick."

Kris burst out laughing and Brandy cackled with her.

"If Erik was paying you dust, you should've tried for Caddo or Monroe."

"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm ready to go home."

"Why?"

Kris stepped into the room and Brandy sat on her bed.

"You and Jordan are doing better and you need your privacy. I know these walls are thin. You can't keep having sex in your car."

Kris's cheeks grew hot.

"I've been here long enough and it's time for me to get back to work. My leave is almost over and I miss the East Coast."

"What am I going to do without you?"

"I'll come see you in California when you finally get settled."

"Do you have to go now?"

"It's time. Erik might've kept me here longer, but I'm not wasting time on him anymore."

"All that cuffing talk and cream rising?"

Brandy rolled her eyes and flicked her right hand in the air.

"I'm the best thing that man will ever get, and if he can't show me some enthusiasm when I'm in front of him, then fuck it. A man wants you or he doesn't."

"You lost interest that fast?"

"He did."

"I wanted you to come to North Carolina with me and Granny May."

"It sounds like fun, but I'm not all that fired up about it like you. And I don't want to go and fake like I'm enjoying myself. I know you. You'll waste your time trying to entertain me instead of enjoying yourself."

Kris pouted, but Brandy didn't change her mind. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Kris's shoulder.

"If you need anything, hit me up and I'll send you money, good music playlists, and care packages. Jordan is trying now so I feel better about leaving you."

"Okay."

Brandy flopped back onto her bed.

"When are you leaving?"

"I'll find a cheap flight sometime next weekend."

"I'm sad now."

"You knew I had to go back eventually."

"Yeah, but I feel like you're just doing it now because of Erik."

"I'm not that shallow. However, you did tell me that there was no hope for that taking off. His behavior today proved it."

"You hadn't talked about leaving before. I guess I thought you would stay for the rest of the summer."

"I wouldn't have a job if I did that."

"But you could work remotely. You've done it before."

"I work for a smaller ad firm now. More hands-on."

Kris stopped fretting. Once Brandy made up her mind, there was no changing it. She left the room and went into her kitchen. Jordan had made it spotless. She heard him in the living room watching TV. Digging around in a lower cupboard, she pulled out a big stainless-steel pot and grabbed a full half-gallon plastic bottle of distilled water from the side of the fridge. She poured water into the pot and turned on the stove. Rooting around in an upper cupboard where she kept hermetically sealed mason jars filled with various herbs, Kris pulled out rue and rosemary.

Washing her hands and wrists, Kris opened the mason jars and held a measured amount of dried herbs in her hands. She closed her eyes.

"I bless these herbs with the strength that I carry within myself that has been passed down to me from mine…"

Pressing her hands tight over the herbs she finished off her long blessing with Psalms Twenty-Three like her Granny would.

"Amen."

She tossed the herbs into the pot of boiling water and turned the stove off. Jordan walked in sniffing the odor in the kitchen.

"Big pot," he said.

"Needy customers. Not just The Stevens crew."

She picked up the phone from the end of the kitchen counter and dialed.

"Hi, Granny…I'm doing good over here. Yeah…she's leaving next week. I know, I was hoping she would go with us too. Granny May, I need some protection oil. Can I get some from you at church tomorrow?"

Jordan lifted the lid on the herbs and Kris slapped his hand. Wagging her finger at him she pushed him out of the kitchen.

###

Granny May's church was on fire with the Holy Spirit.

Kris had missed several evening choir rehearsal practices because of her new job, but she sang along in the seventh pew right next to her grandmother and Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, Erik's grandparents. It was hot in the church and Kris could feel under-titty sweat dampening her bra.

When the collection plate was passed around, her grandmother slipped her gloved hand in her pocketbook and handed Kris a small dark blue one-ounce bottle of her protective blessing oil that would ward off negative energy and negative spells. Kris palmed it and slipped it into her own black bag. Granny May believed her oils became more potent when they were delivered in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and her church was jumping like they were in Jerusalem.

Kris waited patiently for the service to end so she could get back home and relax before work. Standing behind Granny May as people shook her Grand-Uncle's hand thanking him for a wonderful service, she got more than what she bargained for when Miss Rae insisted that Kris join them and her Granny May for lunch up at the ranch.

"I really don't want to intrude—"

"Nonsense. I want to give a good meal under better circumstances. We felt horrible that your first visit to Caddo Ranch left a terrible trauma on you—"

"That was just bad luck—"

"You must come. We have plenty of food, and I want to give you a proper tour. And you have to meet the horse you'll be riding in a couple of weeks."

"Horse?"

Kris glanced at her grandmother.

"Yes, a horse. You can't go to your first trail ride and not ride," Mr. Stevens said winking at her.

Kris checked her watch.

"I have to be at work tonight—"

Miss Rae waved her hands.

"You'll be back in plenty of time. I'll give your grandmother a ride home for you after you eat," Miss Rae said.

Kris had no choice once they all started walking to the church parking lot. She followed behind the Stevens forest green SUV with her grandmother all giddy next to her.

"Your dress is so cute. Did I tell you that this morning? I feel like I forgot to tell you that. Looking like a little orange blossom."

Kris glanced down at the tangerine color and rubbed up under her left boob to adjust her bra.

"You and Miss Rae planned this whole lunch thing," she complained.

"Don't give me any lip about it. We always have lunch together after church. Today it's at the ranch."

"Mmhmmmm," Kris grumbled.

Driving onto the Caddo Ranch, Kris admired everything she saw before the last time she was there. She parked behind the Steven's SUV and helped her grandmother out of her car. Tugging down the back of her knee-length blouson dress, she took in the expanse of the ranch house again. Miss Rae held out her hand toward her.

"We'll have a proper tour first and then some jambalaya, salmon croquettes, fresh corn on the cob, and grilled oysters…"

Kris's stomach rumbled. She took a step toward the house and the promise of sleep-inducing food.

"Oh, here he comes," Mr. Stevens said as the sound of clopping hooves striking the ground grew louder.

Kris turned toward the noise and raised her hand to block the direct sunlight from her eyes. She felt her stomach drop when she saw Erik riding a large black horse. Shirtless. The toasted brown of his skin shimmered with a little bit of sweat. A thin gold chain hung around his neck and she could see his fraternity branding so vividly with its shiny scarring.

"Erik, we have company," Miss Rae said.

Kris looked between Miss Rae and her grandmother and she could see the slick plotting on their faces.

Erik stared down at her and she felt her heart leap a bit when the horse grew a little jumpy. Erik spun it in a circle and sucked his teeth a couple of times and the horse grew calm.

"Oh, my goodness!" Kris yelped when she saw the cutest russet brown foal come awkwardly running on wobbly legs.

The foal ran up alongside the big horse.

"How come you don't have him tied?" Mr. Stevens said.

"He won't leave Big Man's side," Erik said.

"I got him Pop Pop," Selena said walking up with a thin rope in her hand.

She slipped it around the foal.

"Hey Miss May…Kris," Selena said.

"Hi," Kris said.

Her eyes went back to the foal and how close it stayed near Erik's horse. Erik swung his leg around and came down from his horse, holding onto the reins as he moved toward Kris. She inched back in fear. Big Man wasn't called that for nothing.

"He's gentle," Erik said.

Kris grew a little brave and stepped forward. She had been around horses before, but not since she was a little girl.

The horse's mane was braided and she reached out to stroke two of them. She stood close to Erik. A little too close. The muscular planes of his chest dipped down to prominent abs and a tight V in his waist as his jeans hung off of his hips a little bit. Her eyes lingered on the faint line of hair below his belly button that led down a dangerous path to the top of his briefs. The soft whinny of the foal brought her attention away from Erik's body. She moved over from temptation to greet the baby horse. It was skittish when she walked up to it and Selena helped calm its nerves.

"This is Little Man, Big Man's son," Selena said.

"Hey, Mama, it's okay…it's okay…" Mr. Stevens said.

He stood next to Miss Rae with an arm around her. For some reason, Miss Rae was shedding a few tears.

"Miss Rae?" Kris asked stepping toward the woman.

"I'm okay…I'm okay. I just…his mother Mimi was my horse and she passed away when she had him."

"I'm so sorry," Kris said patting the woman's arm.

"I'll be fine. He's in good hands with Erik."

"I'm bringing over a surrogate mare today so I hope she'll accept this little dude," Erik said.

"Let's go in and have a nice lunch," Mr. Stevens said ushering his wife indoors to keep her from getting more emotional. Granny May followed them in patting Miss Rae's back and Kris turned to look at Erik again.

"I have your oil with me," she said.

"When I get back from picking up this mare you can show me how to use it," he said.

Selena walked the foal back the way she came and Erik pulled himself back onto his horse again.

"Enjoy lunch," he said flashing her some dimples.

Kris watched him take off with Big Man in a fast gallop toward a fenced-in pasture. The muscles in the horse matched the definition of the muscles of than man riding it.

She had never seen anything sexier in her whole life.


	14. Chicken Grease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris spends time at the ranch with the Stevens family...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year's Eve. May we all be blessed with better days ahead. My country still sucks, but I'm grateful to be alive.

"To get to the other side  
Y'all cross the road  
But not the kid see I'm like that old bucket of crisco  
That's sitting on top of the stove  
Simmer to a sizzle like the days of old  
But I'll wait til I've mastered this, let the others go first  
So the brothers won't miss  
Fried til it's burned and crisp  
Say we be cooking so the funksters can raise their fist like this  
Now you know how it's going down, start at your neck  
Then through your back then it works its way down to your feet…"

D'Angelo—"Chicken Grease"

The Roux.

That's what Miss Rae called Caddo Ranch.

In Louisiana, the roux was the brown gravy that made up the base sauce for good gumbo, jambalaya, or étouffée. Made of the Holy Trinity-onions, celery, and bell peppers-Miss Rae saw her land and her house as the foundation for the Stevens Clan.

The base.

Kris stood in the foyer and gazed up at the high ceiling and the feeling of fullness the ranch home gave off. It lifted her spirits up. West African and Native American art and figurines filled the walls and the nested tables in the wide-open living room with a tall rustic stone fireplace that pulled the room altogether. The polished dark wood floors made her want to pull her shoes off and slide across them like she was a little kid wanting slippery good fun.

Kris's eyes caught her grandmother's and she knew Granny May wanted her to feel the energy in the house a little deeper. Every home had a personality that could be felt. Even Erik's house made her feel like she was wrapped in a giant soft blanket.

She stepped in front of the fireplace and felt a tickling in her tummy and a cool rush of air at the top of her head.

Ancestral memory.

She touched her stomach.

Miss Rae and Mr. Stevens stood next to her thinking she was admiring the stonework of the fireplace. They weren't aware of the feeling that Kris was sensing in her body. It was a soft yearning, almost like a child seeking attention from an adult who was busy and not focused on them.

Wait.

Miss Rae's eyes looked down near Kris's feet. She did feel something but probably wasn't aware that she was experiencing a calling from her bloodline. Kris moved closer to the stonework and touched it.

"Beautiful," she said.

"Did it myself," Mr. Stevens said with pride in his voice.

"There's the same stonework in TLS."

"I did that too. I used to own it before I gave it to Erik. I retired seven years ago."

"TLS is amazing."

"We like what you did with the new card titles you added with all the background history," Miss Rae said.

"That was fun. I learned a lot."

"The railroad history was a wonderful addition. I'm going to look in storage and see if I have some old pictures stashed away that you could use," Miss Rae said.

Kris's stomach grumbled.

"Somebody is ready to eat!" Mr. Stevens said.

He held out his arm to Kris.

"Shall we?"

Kris wrapped her arm around his.

A whirling tornado of a girl ran into the house in jeans and a custom-made cowboy shirt. Long box braids cascaded under a curled edge cowboy hat.

"Go wash those hands, young lady!" Miss Rae said.

"I did already!"

The girl, no older than twelve, ran up to Granny May and gave her a big hug.

"Hiya Miss May! You didn't come to see me practice today!"

"I didn't see you at Sunday school today either, Asha," Granny May said.

A sheepish grin fell over the nutmeg-colored face with the big round eyes.

"Mama let me help feed Lil Man. He has to eat a lot every hour until Erik brings the new mare."

"I see."

"Hey everybody!"

Selena swept in with a wide smile. Kris looked behind her to see if Erik was walking in too.

He didn't.

"Where's Erik?" Miss Rae asked.

"He left to get the horse now instead of later," Selena said.

"He was supposed to have lunch with us."

Selena shrugged.

"He wants to get up there and back before dark."

"Let's go eat before Kris's stomach cusses everyone out!" Mr. Stevens said.

Kris laughed and walked alongside him into a dining room with stone and woodwork that made her wonder what a house full of the Stevens family would be like. The dark cherrywood dining table had room for at least twelve people and the beige table runner that ran down the middle of it had animal paw prints on it. Coyotes. Wolves. Cougars…

"Sit down everyone," Miss Rae said.

Kris sat across from Selena and her daughter as Granny May sat next to her. Mr. Stevens didn't sit at the head of the table but next to his great-granddaughter. A middle-aged bronze-skinned Black woman with beautiful gray eyes and short sandy-colored hair started bringing out small plates of grilled oysters and salmon croquettes for their starter. Miss Rae followed behind the woman with big pitchers of sweet tea and strawberry lemonade.

"Honey, let me help with all that," Mr. Stevens said standing up.

"I got it. Y'all relax. Nadine, you can bring the jambalaya and corn out now," Miss Rae said.

She took the seat at the head of the table and tapped Kris's hand.

"You are going to love this jambalaya. Nadine put her foot in it."

"It's your recipe, Miss Rae," Nadine said heading back into the kitchen.

"But you add your own oomph to it!"

"Shall we say grace?" Mr. Stevens said.

They all held hands and bowed their heads as Mr. Stevens rich baritone gave a humble prayer beseeching the Lord to bless them all with nourishment for body and soul. Kris wasn't shy about taking her seafood fork and dipping it into the tender oyster flesh. She savored the flavors of parmesan cheese, red peppers, and Worcestershire sauce before moving onto the golden-brown croquettes that broke off in flakey chunks. Sipping down sweet tea and listening to Asha describe her timing on barrel racing had Kris real comfortable at the table. By the time she was forking down the chunks of smoked chicken sausage and shrimp layered throughout the rice of the heavily seasoned jambalaya, her mind wondered what they were having for dinner. She was also happy she wore a dress because her belly had expanded three sizes.

They took tea and ginger cookies in the sitting room and Kris was able to see family portraits for the first time hanging on the walls and on a baby grand piano in the corner of the room near a floor to ceiling window that overlooked a small man-made lake. She giggled at pictures of Erik and his cousins when they were little. They all big heads, ashy legs, and glimmers of the seductive smiles that were a Stevens family trait. She was shown pictures of their parents and sisters she didn't know about and family who lived in California and those who lived in Chicago. There was the family from Miss Rae's siblings and very few from Mr. Stevens's side. He was not close to them and lost touch with those who moved away from Texas. He had worked for Miss Rae's father on the ranch for many years before he saved up and bought TLS.

"See that man right there?" Mr. Stevens said pointing to an older man in a wall photo with coppery skin and sharp cheekbones that could cut marble.

His hair was glossy black and silky gathered together in one long braid that hung over his right shoulder.

"Meanest sonofabitch that ever lived—"

"Watch what you say about my Pappy," Miss Rae said.

"I ain't doin' nothing but speaking the plain truth. Erik Tourmaline Caddo. People called him Big Ricky. That man worked me from can see to can't see every day, and wouldn't let me take one good long look at Rae before he had his guns out on my chest. I told him I was going to marry his daughter and he told me over his dead body. I married her and he had to give her away to me right outside this house by that lake over there. That man was so mad when he handed her over. But when that first grandbaby came out…yes Lord, that man became my best friend. God rest his soul."

"Why was he so mean to you at first?" Kris asked.

"He was protective of everything. Which is funny because he was a wild man. Drank hard. Loved hard. Wicked sense of humor. Ooh, and women loved his pretty behind. He had that Caddo hair and beady eyes that made the ladies swoon. All them good looks passed down into Rae and so did all them wild traits. Had she been a boy, wouldn't be no problems. But having a girl child that acted like him? Lord help us. I was sniffing around here hard Jack!"

Kris cracked up and stole glances at Miss Rae who had her arms folded over her ample chest. There was a smirk on her face.

"He just talking," she said.

"I laid eyes on his daughter and he turned into a bull that just saw red. He knew that I was going to steal his treasure. He was like that with all his kids. The boys too. I think he wanted to make sure we were worthy of coming into this family."

"Were you worthy?"

"I believe so. Rae ain't left me yet. She puts me out of the house from time to time, but I'll be here until the river runs dry."

Mr. Stevens spoke of raising kids on the ranch and Miss Rae taking it over when Ricky Caddo died. She was shown more pictures on more walls as she was given a tour. A second section of the house had an upstairs with several bedrooms and bathrooms and a third section expanded into a huge family room, office, game room, and home theater. A separate building had garage space for several cars and then there was another vehicle garage across the lake that held trucks and three horse travel trailers along with a tractor. Even with all that space, the house still felt small and cozy.

Selena pulled her cell phone out of her jeans.

"He's back," she said.

Asha ran screaming with excitement out of the house.

"The new mare is here! The new mare is here!"

Kris grew excited too and followed the girl outside where she saw Erik driving his truck that had a small horse trailer attached to it. He drove past the big house and Kris continued following Asha toward a stable some distance away.

Kris turned to look back and Miss Rae stayed behind near the house with Mr. Stevens and her grandmother.

"They're not coming?" Kris asked Selena.

"Nana is scared to get too attached to the new foal in case it doesn't survive. We're hoping this horse we're borrowing will accept him. She'll be around if it works out."

"She really loved Mimi."

"Raised her as a foal herself."

Kris felt her pulse quicken when she saw Erik jump out of his truck. He was still bare-chested and she watched him open the back of the horse trailer and lead a beautiful gingerbread brown mare out onto the property.

"Pretty!" Asha said dancing around her older cousin.

"Stand back, girl," Erik said as the large mare grew frisky inhaling the scent of her new temporary home.

Biandro closed up the trailer and they all walked with the horse into a stable. The snorts and soft neighing and nickering of the other horses watching the new mare enter filled Kris with anticipation. She found herself crossing her fingers hoping the foal could be adopted.

They arrived at the last stall that had no other horses near it. Inside Kris could see Lil Man huddled in some hay looking anxious and alone. Selena opened the stall.

"Asha, back now. Let us get Lil Man situated," Selena said.

"Stand there," Erik said and the little girl moved to the side and climbed up the gate of the next stall peeking over into Lil Man's space.

Selena stepped over to the foal and it jumped up on thin wobbly knock-kneed legs and nuzzled her stomach. She gently rested her left hand under the foal's throat and her right hand held onto its small rump keeping it still.

"Hey, big boy! Rosie is here," Selena said.

Erik led Rosie into the stall and Biandro closed it up quickly. Loosening the reins, Erik allowed Rosie to move freely in the stall as Selena stayed in the background with Lil Man. It approached the foal sniffing the tail, then the left flank, and then it stuck its head under the abdomen. Rosie moved back suddenly and Lil Man grew frightened against Selena. Kris could see Lil Man's thin ribs poking through its skin. Bottle-feeding wasn't giving the little one the nutrients it needed. She felt sorry for it.

"Easy," Erik said. He sucked his teeth and stroked Rosie's shoulder.

After ten minutes, Selena stepped out of the stall and Erik stood against the gate. He kept a close watch of the mare interacting with the foal. With tentative steps, the foal dipped its head under the mare to get to the udder. It attempted to drink from the nipple but Rosie moved away from it again as she sniffed the foal all over once more. Eventually, Lil Man tried to suck once more and Rosie allowed him to take his first real feeding.

"Yay!" Asha said softly, shaking her fists in the air.

Selena had a grin on her face and even Biandro looked relieved. Erik only watched.

"We'll see if she allows him to drink again," Erik said.

Asha and Selena gave Kris a tour of two stables. The one they were in was where they kept their horses and another was where they boarded horses for other people. There was another stable further away that housed Erik's fancier jet black horses. The Friesians. They took a nice long walk there and Kris was impressed with how different the Friesians were. Those horses knew they were the shit. She didn't want to say out loud that they acted stuck up, but the way their curly dark manes and tails swooped down with fancy oiled up shine as she walked past each stall, they let her know she was a mere peasant in their midst.

By the time they walked back to the first stable, Erik was shaking his head in the stall with Rosie and Lil Man.

"Lil Man smells too strange to her. She won't let him suck again," Erik said.

He opened the stall gate and stepped out allowing Biandro to take his place.

"Be right back," Erik said.

He left them for about ten minutes. When he returned, he carried a jar of Vick's medicinal rub and a plastic sandwich bag. He opened the jar and rubbed a little Vick's on Rosie's nose. Asha giggled.

"What's so funny?" Selena asked.

"Everything smells like medicine to her now," Asha said sitting atop the next stall gate once more.

Erik took the sandwich bag and picked up a bit of Rosie's crumbly excrement from the hay and rubbed it all down the back of Lil Man.

"Stinky!" Asha said laughing once more.

Erik rubbed more up and down the foal's legs and tail and some on his forehead and muzzle. Selena petted Lil Man's mane.

"Sorry baby boy. We just want your new Mama to love you so can eat and grow strong. Ya gotta smell familiar to her."

Standing back, Erik tapped Selena's arm to move out of the stall. They watched Rosie sniff around as Lil Man walked near her. She allowed the foal to drink from her udder again.

"I think it's going to work," Erik said.

"I'll keep watch for the next hour," Biandro said.

"I'll watch the next one!" Asha volunteered.

"Are you staying with Nana and Pop Pop tonight?" Selena asked.

"Yes. Nana said I could."

Kris stared at Erik as he gazed at Lil Man. His back was to her and she admired the muscles and curves she saw across his traps and lower torso. He tossed the plastic bag to Biandro and turned around facing her.

"You have that oil on you?"

"It's in my purse. I left it at the Big House."

Selena and Asha watched Lil Man with Biandro as Erik stepped out of the stall and stood before her. She tried not to look at his chest and kept her focus on his face.

"Go get it for me. Bring it to my house."

He walked past her and she followed behind his long strides trying to keep up.

"You remember how to get to my place?" he asked once they left the stable.

"That way?" she said pointing left.

"That way," he said pointing right.

Kris did an about-face and started walking. She stopped.

"Wait…what's the quickest way to the big house?"

He pointed the direction to her around the second stable.

"Call me if you get lost," he said.

She paused her leaving when she saw the smirk on his face. He looked just like his grandmother when she was staring at his grandfather earlier with her arms crossed.

"I won't get lost."

###

She got lost.

Kris wandered around the back of the main house and walked too far. She circled back and saw a house that she thought was his, but it was a little bigger. That had to be the guest house Miss Rae had mentioned. Catching sight of the tributary behind the guest house, she saw an unpaved path that she finally recognized and followed it along the small river until she arrived at Erik's house.

She knocked on the door. He didn't answer so she tried the handle and it opened. There were soulful sounds coming from a stereo system and she could smell something good coming from his kitchen. She thought he was in there and he startled her when she walked back out and found him padding out from his bedroom changed into a clean pair of dark sweats…but still no shirt. Erik had a towel around his shoulders and he dried the back of his scalp with it.

"Got it?" he said tossing the towel on a side chair.

She held up her purse. He stood in front of her again.

She reached into her purse and pulled out the dark blue bottle. Dropping her bag on his coffee table she held up Granny May's creation.

"This should last you two months—"

"Two months?! It's going to take that long for me to get some…"

Kris tilted her head and waited for him to finish. He didn't.

"It might not take that long to work. All I'm saying is that this is how long the supply will last you."

"Oh. What else?"

He was standing too close to her.

His eyes were serious and concentrating on her face. She could smell the fresh scent of his clean skin. He used vanilla and honey-based oatmeal soap. The odor was pleasing to her.

She opened the cap on the oil and Erik bent his head down smelling it. Kris wasn't expecting him to do that. She was just going to hand it to him.

"Not offensive. That's good," he said.

He leaned in further and brought his nose closer to her neck. She froze clutching the oil against her chest.

"What is that?" he said. He sniffed her skin then stood back.

"What is what?" her voice came out like a small squeak.

"That perfume your wearing. Brandy wore that."

"It's not perfume. It's an oil I make for myself—"

His face was back near her neck again and she held her breath.

Why was he getting so close to her and making her feel…guilty?

Guilty for what?

"What's wrong with your face?"

"Nothing."

"Looking all uptight and shit."

"You're being weird."

"How?"

"All up on me."

He stood back and she was able to breathe freely again. His crowding her made the muscles in her stomach tight and her heart became jumpier. He was just smelling the oils and somehow, he made it feel like he was trying to do something illicit.

"My bad. I like that oil scent. It smells good on you. Brandy was wearing it when I first met her—"

"Brandy is leaving. Going back home next week."

Kris blurted it out so fast and so harsh. She had no idea where that tone came from. It sounded like she was irritated.

"Leaving huh? It's probably good that I didn't start anything with her."

There was a coy look on his face and Kris hated it.

"Yeah, well you don't seem to finish things too well."

Erik's eyes narrowed.

"What's up with you?"

"Do you want to know how to use this?"

"Yeah."

She pulled her hands away from her chest.

"I don't mean to come off bitchy. I'm just not happy that's she's leaving."

"She say why?"

"Work."

"Hmmm."

kris rolled her eyes.

"You don't like the idea of me with her at all, huh?"

"She's my cousin."

"So?"

"You have two women already. You don't need her."

"I'm just dating. I'm not settling down. You dated a lot before Jordan."

"Not that many guys. A few. Nothing serious. Until him."

"You found your match. I'm looking for mine…what? Why are you rolling your eyes again?"

"You're not looking for one person," she snorted.

He grinned.

"I could be. If the right one showed up—"

"Shut up!"

She held the bottle up.

"You take about two to three small drops of this and rub it into your hands to warm it up—"

"Can I microwave it?"

"No. You'll ruin the properties in it."

She placed two good drops onto her hand and rubbed her other hand on it.

"Your own body heat activates it good enough. Once you've warmed it up, start from the back of the neck and work your way up to the top of your crown."

She demonstrated on her own head for him.

"Because of your situation, you can also place the oil on your chakras. You anoint each one starting at the root chakra and work your way up to the crown. When you want to attract blessings, you move your hands up toward the body. When you shed negative things, you move your hands away from the body—"

"But I want to get rid of something negative—"

"You'll use the herbs I steeped to do that. We're doing a one-two punch with you. Bringing in protections and warding away the bad stuff."

"There's like…what? Eight or nine chakras?"

"Seven."

"You gotta write all this down for me."

"It's easy. I promise."

"Show me."

She turned to her side and touched the bottom of her spine.

"This is your root chakra."

Turning to face him again she touched herself about two inches from her navel.

"This is your sacral chakra—"

"I have to touch my dick?"

"Erik, my fingers are below my belly button."

His middle and index finger touched his belly button.

"No below that."

She moved his fingers below for him. Her index finger swiped the soft hairs there when he moved his hand away. Her eyes drifted up to his face.

"What's next?" he said.

"Um, the solar plexus."

He waited for her to show him.

"Here," she said touching his upper abdomen.

"Your hands are soft."

She stared at the middle of his chest.

"Your heart chakra is in the center of your chest…right here."

Taut. His chest was so…hard. His pecs stared at her and she closed her eyes for a second.

"Your throat…"

She stroked the front of his neck and felt his Adam's Apple.

"Your third eye—"

"I know that one."

"Good. The last one is your crown chakra."

Kris stepped onto her tippy toes raising her hands high. Erik bent down to help her and she wiped the last of the oil on top of his head. His eyes penetrated hers and she felt her ankles shake a little trying to keep herself up. Erik's right arm snaked around her waist and he lifted her.

"I paid seventy-five dollars for this stuff. You better rub all of it on there. Don't waste nothing," he whispered.

Kris stroked the rest along his crown and she could feel intense heat escaping the top of his head. His energy was strong there. It reminded her of the energy she felt standing in front of the fireplace in the main house.

Her purse vibrated on the coffee table.

Erik turned to look at it and all Kris could see was the hairs of his beard on his jawline. His arm was tight around her and she felt her clit pulse just a tiny bit knowing he could hold her up that long with just one arm.

He let her down gently and she quickly twisted the lid back on his oil and handed it to him. She scurried over to her purse and pulled out her cell.

"Shit!"

It was Jordan. She was late getting back to the house for work. They were carpooling together.

"It got so fucking late! Blue is going to kill me. So is Jordan."

"I'll call Blue for you—"

"Don't. I don't want him thinking anything."

"Like what?"

"Like this is going to be a habit."

"Do me a favor."

"What?"

"Wear that oil you have on more often. It's relaxing. Shit, make me some. I'll pay for it."

"Twenty-five for two ounces."

"Shit, you expensive."

"Worth it though."

"I see."

Kris threw her purse around her shoulder and ran out of his house.

"The other way!" he yelled when she went left instead of going right.


	15. Texas Flood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris faces unexpected changes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year and all that jazz!

"Well there's floodin' down in Texas  
All of the telephone lines are down  
Well there's floodin' down in Texas  
All of the telephone lines are down  
And I've been tryin' to call my baby  
Lord and I can't get a single sound

Well dark clouds are rollin' in  
Man I'm standin' out in the rain  
Well dark clouds are rollin' in  
Man I'm standin' out in the rain  
Yeah flood water keep a-rollin'  
Man it's about to drive poor me insane"

Stevie Ray Vaughn – "Flood in Texas"

Kris lifted the tray of pale ale and whiskey sours and carried them to the center bar area where a group of Black men were having a serious discussion. They wore dark blue t-shirts that said "National Black Trucking Association" across the front and back with crisp white lettering.

When she finished delivering libations, Monroe swept in immediately and grabbed a barstool seat with the truckers. He was dressed down in business casual for a Saturday night.

"Kris, could I get a Bourbon on the rocks please?" he asked.

He pulled folders out of a dark caramel attaché case and the men made room for him on one of the round tables they surrounded.

"Coming right up," she said.

Her eyes glossed over the entrance for the hundredth time that day as customers walked in. Jordan lingered near the entrance. He opened one of the double doors to assist an older couple out as another group of patrons scampered in. She grabbed the square whiskey glass from the bartender and brought it over to Monroe. She glanced behind herself as the double doors swung open again.

"What are you doing?" Jordan asked.

He slipped over to her as she lifted up tip money from two tables.

"What?"

"You keep looking at the doors."

Her eyes darted back to another table with dollar bills piled under an empty wine glass.

"Just seeing if Rekia is coming tonight."

"She came in ten minutes ago," Jordan said.

He pressed his lips together as he stared at her.

"Oh. I missed her then. She said she wasn't feeling well last night."

Tucking her tips into her apron she moved away from Jordan and checked on some other tables in her section.

Erik had been gone a week.

His regular schedule at TLS tended to be Tuesday nights and the weekend with occasional pop-ups to check in with Blue, but it was already a busy Saturday and he hadn't been in at all. The few times she wanted to ask Blue about it, Jordan had been around, and she knew her man was not fond of Erik. Jordan was always used to being the pretty boy star in D.C., a woman magnet that used to make Kris feel a proud thrill when she was out with him.

She knew he was better-looking than her when it came down to it physically, and she had to get used to it while they were in college when there were whispers around campus as to why he was with her. There were snickers and gossip that got back to her about him being a breast man or wanting a woman he could have sit and spin on him because of her petite size compared to his. Kris didn't feel threatened by other women with Jordan because he had been a late-bloomer. Their freshmen year meeting in a biology lab had her staring at crooked teeth in braces, a scrawny lanky build, and lack of a good barber on Jordan's end. He barely made the line for his fraternity, and they cried together when he became an official Alpha Phi Alpha and she had to endure black and gold becoming a permanent fixture in their lives. She found his geeky personality endearing and they teamed up as study buddies until their junior year once they declared their majors.

In the middle of their third year, Jordan blossomed. The glow-up was too real. Braces gone, regular line ups with his fraternity brothers who helped with his sartorial choices as well, and cooking real food in their first apartment together filled out his body with assistance from the local gym. Jordan discovered his own swagger and cultivated a D.C. persona that secured his popularity and opportunities on Capitol Hill.

Moving to Texas was a low key blow to his ego. Especially working at TLS. Pretty boys with great physiques were appreciated, but all the big hunks walking around with deep twangy voices and a true grit that East Coast men didn't have made Jordan feel less special and competitive for attention. Kris found it amusing, but it was less so when Jordan started bumping heads with Erik.

Jordan had a flirty nature too, and it was put to good use handling drunk party girls and welcoming pretty women into the saloon. He buttered them up and passed out compliments galore, and Kris often walked past tables filled with giggles and good-natured flirt-backs with him.

But Erik…

Kris had never seen a man compete against another man so vividly before. At first, she thought it was funny, a subtle challenge to Jordan's years of being The Man. It grew nearly unbearable when she had to watch him observe a master of the game. Whereas Jordan had to run his best lines down to win a smile, Erik could easily disarm a table full of women with just one smile. They clamored for his attention at times that made Kris feel embarrassed for the obvious thirst and she had to watch Jordan stare off to the side with a sullen expression and a tight jaw.

If Jordan spent too long lingering near the bar chopping it up with customers, Erik sent him on his way. If Erik was oozing charm and compliments near the dance floor, Jordan would find an excuse to break his flow by calling him away to check on something.

Kris watched Jordan make the rounds of the bar and her eyes went back to the entrance again.

"Can you help me with my big group? Their food is up and I want them to get everything at once since they've been waiting a while," Rekia said.

"Why is the kitchen backed up?" Kris asked.

"A lot of hungry folks tonight."

Kris glanced at her section before following Rekia to the kitchen. Grabbing plates of carne asada fries, riblets, and tacos, they served up hot food and wet naps. Heading back to her section, she saw Erik walk in and she turned her head away quickly because Jordan cruised back around.

She was dying to know how Lil Man was doing.

Kris knew she could've called him and asked at any time about the foal, but after her experience with him at his house on the ranch, she didn't feel comfortable doing that. Erik had an ego too and she knew that he would make something of her calling about a horse.

She worked her section as TLS grew more crowded and the new band that had a residency there were halfway done with their first set. Tapping her toes as she carried drinks and food, her eyes kept wandering over to the bar.

Freed up for her break, she meandered over nonchalantly to the main register where Rekia was standing next to Erik. His eyes leveled onto hers.

"How's Lil Man?" she said.

"Better. Had some problems with the adoption after a couple of days. It was hit or miss and he had a fever."

Kris sat on one of the saddle stools in front of him.

"We've been doing around the clock watch on him, but he's on the mend."

Erik pulled out his cell phone and swiped it. Holding it out toward her, Kris checked it out.

"Aw," she said as she saw several cute photos of Lil Man.

"He looks healthier," she said noting that she couldn't see his ribs poking out anymore.

She handed Erik back his phone. He glanced at it himself and he looked like a proud Poppa. There were a few worry lines on his brow and when his eyes rose to hers once more, he smiled showing her some dimples and a bit of relief.

"I had the vet check him out today and so far, so good."

Rekia peeked at the photos too before she headed off to her section.

"I have your spray for you and your crystals. Your cousins picked theirs up yesterday."

"Cool. I'll get it before I jet."

"You're not closing out tonight?"

"Nah. Early night."

His eyes took in the dance floor.

"People like the new band?"

"Yeah. They're good. They mix in a little blues and some contemporary music. The lead singer…she's good. Sounds like…shit…what's the lead singer's name from the S.O.S. Band?"

"Mary Davis?"

"I think that's her name."

Erik held up his phone.

"That's her name," he said.

Kris smiled.

"She sounds like her."

"Nana Rae wants you to come back to the ranch."

"For what?"

"You didn't meet the horse you're riding in North Carolina."

"See, I didn't say anything about riding a horse when I went out there. I'm going for the camping and socializing—"

"Riding is part of that. Your grandmother said you know how to ride."

"Not for a long ass time."

"Well, Nana expects you to come up before we all leave—"

"Come up where?"

Jordan leaned against the bar and Miranda, one of the popular bartenders next to Erik served him a coke with a straw. It was his break time.

"Mrs. Stevens wants me to come over to see the horse I'll be riding that no one told me about before I agreed to go to North Carolina."

"She meant to introduce you last week but you got caught up with Lil Man."

"Last week?" Jordan asked.

His eyes regarded Kris and she tapped her right fingers on the bar.

"My grandmother made me take her to the ranch."

"So that's why you were late? You said you were out for lunch with Miss May after church."

"We had lunch there and they had me hemmed up."

Kris could hear the strain in Jordan's voice. His face held consternation too. A small muscle in his cheek twitched. She turned her body toward him and Jordan's eyes coolly took in her form.

"You can come up too and ride if you want," Erik said stuffing his cell in his back pocket.

Kris watched Jordan's face relax.

"I've never ridden a horse before," he said.

"Welcome to learn," Erik said moving away from the bar and heading toward the mechanical bull.

Jordan's questioning eyes regarded her.

"Your grandmother is still trying to set you up with him?"

"Yeah. I was ambushed last Sunday. They fed me and held me hostage in that big gorgeous house. They have so many horses…"

Kris reached out and touched his arm.

"You should come with me. She already knows you're here."

"How?"

"One of the neighbors told her when we were at the movies on Tuesday. She came by and Daryl next door said he thought you were home."

"How did she react?"

"She's not happy, but she also thinks you just got here."

"You should tell her to stop pushing you on him. It's ridiculous. And disrespectful to me."

Kris reached up and stroked his cheek.

"You are my big teddy bear boo boo," she cooed.

Jordan's eyes grew shiny and he leaned in close and gave her a sweet peck on her cheek.

"I have something—"

Kris jumped up before Jordan could finish talking as Nathaniel started scratching on his wheels of steel. She was still on her break and the first staff dance was starting and she was not going to get caught up in it.

Too late.

Rekia grabbed a hold of her arm and dragged her toward her section near Kris's.

"I'm on break!" Kris whined.

She stomped her feet and Rekia ignored her.

"Oh, shit!" Kris mumbled.

It was the funk set.

Nathaniel threw on James Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing" and all the servers started in on the fast steps. Kris wore a frown on her face as she passively did the moves until Rekia nudged her with her arm to fix her face for the customers. The hard funk segued into Bobby Byrd's "I Know You Got Soul" and Kris jammed with Rekia until she reminded herself that she was on break and tried to escape. Jordan snuck up on her shaking his hips against hers. Kris giggled as he gripped her waist and made her face Rekia's way again and the three of them did the steps in sync.

"I see you Kris!" Nathaniel shouted on the mic so everyone could hear.

Kris ducked her head and tried to make herself small in her section but the customers gassed her up as Lyn Collin's "Think" blasted in the entire saloon making people shout out with the beat.

"It takes two to make a thing go right, girl! Get it!" Nathaniel shouted at her.

The music got good to Kris and she broke out of the choreographed steps and just shook her body the way she wanted relaxing into the song that was sampled by everyone and their Mama in Hip Hop. When the breakbeat struck, she threw in an old school pop-locking move and threw it to Jordan who mirrored her moves and threw it back at her.

Nathaniel ended the little dance party and everyone clapped. Kris wanted to hug Jordan but he was still on the clock so she squeezed his bicep instead. Wiping her brow and lifting her cowgirl hat up to let her scalp breathe, she saw Erik checking her out. He gave her a thumbs up and she turned away from him to walk with Rekia.

"Not one mess up, Sis!" Rekia squealed.

Kris sat her hat back on her head. It was true. She was so focused on not wanting to dance and getting away that she forgot about being nervous about it. Especially when she just did her own thing to the beat.

She took a slow stroll outside to get some fresh air and finish her break in the parking lot. Kris walked over to her car and opened up the trunk to grab the small bag she had for Erik with his protective crystals and spray inside. Spending the last fifteen minutes sitting in her car she saw Erik walk outside with a light-brown woman with a long curly dark ponytail that she didn't recognize. He was smoking one of his expensive cigars and talked to the stranger until he leaned up against his truck. The woman rubbed his arm then walked back toward the entrance again. Erik shook his head and seemed lost in thought for a moment as he checked his phone.

Kris stepped out of her car and clutched the bag she had for him tight.

"Hey," she said.

Erik put his phone away and there was a twinkle in his eye as he took the bag from her.

"Use the spray before you leave the house, just like the oil, and keep it with you for spiritual touch-ups if you feel run down during the day. Spray a light mist down and away from your body. Top of your head and down to your feet. All sides. The opposite of the oil. The three small crystals are in a small black silk bag. Keep them in your pockets all day and sit them on your windowsill at night in your bedroom to recharge with moonlight. If there's no moonlight, sleep with them under your pillow at night.

A huge grin was plastered across his face.

"What?"

"I gotta do all this to get a woman again?"

She shrugged.

"I'm only doing this because I'm desperate," he said.

He puffed on his cigar and blew the smoke away from her face.

"I hear you're leaving Texas after North Carolina."

"I'm doing what?"

"Jordan gave his two-week notice."

"He did?"

"He did. Blue told me before I came out here. Why do you look surprised?"

"I need to get back," she said walking away from him.

Jordan was posted up near the gift shopping chatting up two older women admiring some historic pictures hanging above some shot glasses.

"Can I talk to you? Outside?" she said.

Jordan followed her and she led him toward the customer parking lot. When they were far enough away from people heading inside, she faced him with her hands on her hips.

"Erik told me you gave your two-week notice. He said we're leaving for California after I get back from North Carolina."

"I'm leaving and you're staying here."

Kris tilted her head back and her hands dropped from her hips.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I was trying to tell you earlier, but I had to make the move now. I have some interviews set up and a buddy of mine has a friend out there who is willing to let me camp on their couch while I job search. I had to take advantage now."

"What about me?"

"Kris, I can't have you coming to L.A. and sleeping on a couch in some stranger's house."

"But that's what you're doing."

"I'm trying to secure some work now while these opportunities pop up, baby. I won't have to pay any rent while I'm there, and as soon as I get a job, I'll get us an apartment and send for you. I want to grind there in person while I know you're here in comfort with family."

"I can sleep on a couch too—"

"Baby, it's a couch, not even a pull-out bed. There are two other guys who live there already. I can't have my woman living like she's in a dorm."

"You were just going to leave and not tell me sooner than this?"

"It just came up. I got the call two days ago that I could stay there. One of my frat brothers hooked it up for me."

Kris's lip quivered.

"I've been telling everyone that we were leaving together in another month. They'll all think we broke up or something."

"No, they won't. It's none of their business anyway. If you're worried about that, quit and relax. You can live off of the free-lance money I made. It's just six weeks. I'll have a job by then and you can drive out."

"You'll need a car to be in L.A."

"I can use Ubers and Lyfts and then I can lease a car when the time comes. Baby, don't make that face."

"We're supposed to be in this together!"

She stomped her boots and Jordan put his arms around her.

"We are in this together. I'm making moves that will secure our future out there. I'll feel less stress if I know you're living in comfort here."

"I'm going to miss you."

Kris pushed her face into his chest and burst into tears. For seven years they had always been together. The longest they had ever been apart was for the funeral of Jordan's great-grandmother, and he'd only been gone a week to Florida.

"Don't cry. I'm not going off to war or anything. We can Skype chat everyday…Kris…"

He pulled her away from him and held her shoulders.

"I'm doing this for us. If I snag something fast, then you can come to me sooner."

She shook her head and he hugged her again.

"We need to go back in and finish work. We'll talk more when we get home. This is going to work out," he whispered as he stroked her back.

Jordan held her hand as he walked her back into TLS.

"Girl, what happened?" Rekia asked as Kris wandered over to the bar to pick up some drinks.

Kris shook her head.

"I thought you'd be happy about leaving for California," Erik said making her cocktails for her.

"Yeah, that's all you talk about," Rekia chimed in.

"He's leaving without me."

Erik stopped spritzing lemon juice into her orders.

"Y'all breaking up?"

"No. He's just going out there early."

"You're staying then?"

"He doesn't want me to go yet."

"Why not?"

"None of your business."

Jordan's voice was curt as he stood next to Kris with his arms folded.

Erik's eyes grew tight and he drew himself up like he was about to walk around the counter and get in Jordan's ass.

"Jordan…"

The softness in her sad voice drew Erik's eyes back to her, and whatever he was about to unleash on Jordan dissipated the moment he saw her eyes water. His hand reached out to touch hers and Jordan pulled her away toward the patio.

The band was back on stage and the live music was thick, hot, and making Kris feel worse with the sad bluesy feel to it.


	16. Time's A Wasyin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jordan leaves for California and Kris can't deal...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Humming along!

"Yeah  
Time's a wastin'  
Don't you take your time young man  
Keep on driftin'  
Ain't no tellin' where you'll land

Run baby, run, run  
Where you runnin' to?  
And who you runnin' from?  
Some people may not understand  
What it means to be a man  
Takin' full command"

Erykah Badu— "Time's A Wastin'"

Erik was surprised to see her cry.

He reached for Kris's hand and Jordan dragged her away from the bar like she was some toy he didn't want Erik to have access to. Had the nerve to have some bass in his voice talking to him too.

None of his business? The fuck?

He paused.

No. It wasn't his business. But he wanted to know why that cute little pixie face was scrunched up like she was wounded to her core. Kris always looked chipper, full of good humor, and happiness. To see her coquettish eyes press out fat tears on the job unnerved him. It looked unnatural. Foreign. It tugged at his heart to see her get so upset so fast. The last time he saw her cry he damn near broke his neck trying to save her from a predator. The same need to protect her swept over him once more even though the predation came from a human this time.

"That was weird," Rekia said as she watched Jordan take Kris away.

"Is something going on with them?"

Rekia shrugged.

"I thought they were leaving together. Not this soon, but…"

Her voice trailed off and she stared at the patio door.

"He was pulling on her kinda hard, huh?" Rekia asked staring at him.

The crease on her forehead made him finish up Kris's order.

"Take this to the middle table with the three old men for her. I'll go check on them," he said.

Rekia took the cocktails and Erik left the bar. Moving through patrons he stepped out of the patio door to find a lot of smokers and folks needing cooler air. Kris and Jordan were in the back right corner. Erik didn't like the way Jordan had her boxed against the patio railing.

"Do you need me to have someone cover your section so you can have some more time out here?" he asked.

Erik took the managerial approach so Jordan wouldn't pop off. Kris wiped her eyes and Erik hated seeing her still so upset. Something was definitely awry with them.

"I'm coming back," she said.

"Could we have five minutes, please?" Jordan asked.

Erik heard stress in the man's voice.

"Okay," Erik said.

Jordan turned back to her and Erik stepped to the side so he could see her face again. She had her right hand up against her forehead and her left hand was around her waist. He watched them for a few moments before her eyes caught his. Erik spun around and headed back into the bar.

He was in a sour mood for the rest of his time there.

Kris returned to her section and worked with a smile on her face. Erik could see her struggle with keeping that pleasant mask on when she thought no one was looking at her. Jordan was his usual gregarious self as he worked the place. That man was just going to leave her in Texas? Her cousin Brandy was leaving too and the woman would be left alone. She had relatives of course that were there for her, but she wasn't really connected to Mariscal like she was back east. All she had were her co-workers and she only knew them for a short time.

What kind of man left his woman behind like that?

Kris and Jordan walked around TLS like the most in-love couple in the whole world. And as much as the man irritated Erik on most days, he did seem to fawn over Kris when they were off duty. Even at their get together the previous week they were lovey-dovey. It just didn't make sense to him.

Erik went home and checked on Lil Man and Rosie in the stable before he dragged himself to bed. He placed the plastic spray bottle Kris made him near the glass oil bottle on his nightstand and pulled out a small silk black bag. Opening it, he poured three objects into his hand. Kris had stuck tiny white round stickers onto each stone with its name on it for him. There was a jagged one that was part purple and light brown like weak tea called ametrine. Another small lumpy shape with the greenish color and look of algae had the name aurichalcite. The final piece was a bright scarlet and very smooth gemstone labeled jasper. He held all three in his left hand while feeling their different textures and temperatures with his right fingers. Turning them over several times, he finally walked over to his window. The moon was waning through the open pale yellow curtains but still very visible as he set his protective talismans on the windowsill.

"This shit better work," he muttered to himself.

He stripped out of his clothes and took a lukewarm shower before jumping onto his bed naked. Kris was still on his mind. Erik debated calling her on her cell. He didn't want to cause friction at home, but that look on her face still haunted him. He spritzed himself with the new spray moving from his head to his toes. It had a strange smell with something familiar too, but it wasn't terrible.

Feeling restless, he grabbed his cell and scrolled a few bookmarked porn sites. Nothing aroused him as he touched himself and he tossed the phone on the other side of his king-sized bed. Fuck. Even his masturbation suffered. Closing his eyes, he thought off Arletta's juicy behind and let his hand drift down to his groin before tugging on his flaccid dick. Nothing. His mind drifted to Vanessa and her perky tits and deep throat game. His penis stayed limp and cool to the touch. He let it flop down on his thigh and he threw his left arm over his eyes. He hadn't ejaculated for weeks. Erections still woke him up in the morning like a big ass brick between his legs, but Erik couldn't find any release.

None at all.

###

Brandy was gone.

Kris stayed in bed for an entire day as she grew accustomed to not hearing her cousin in the house anymore. Ten days had passed and now the house would become even more silent. She watched Jordan pack up the last of his things in his suitcase. Everything he owned was housed inside four giant Louis Vuitton suitcases that he bought on sale when they were rolling in dough the year that he made some real money.

"That's it," he said sitting down on the bed staring at his things.

"We can buy a blow-up mattress," she whispered.

Jordan stretched out next to her and she cuddled up next to him.

"I told you, we'll be together again before you know it."

Kris did her best to keep her face happy for him, but all she wanted to do was crawl under the covers with him and wrap her legs around him just to keep him a little longer. Jordan kept telling her over and over that six weeks would fly by and she almost believed it until he made her put on some clothes so she could ride with him to the airport. He drove her car as she sat in the passenger seat dreading the drive back by herself. They agreed not to have her park or walk him in. Pulling up to the departure curb, they both stepped out of her tan Toyota Camry and gave each other a hug. She helped him pull his bags from the trunk and back seat and he made her drive off before she burst into tears again. Smothering her face with kisses his last words to her were, "I love you," and "See you soon."

Her grandmother was at a church revival in the next city, and the cousins she had in Mariscal were older and she didn't feel like being around them because they would give her the usual platitudes to feel better and all she wanted to do was wallow in her sorrow.

The small white house was hot, stuffy, and echoed loneliness the moment she returned to it. Her own footsteps on the old maroon carpet were loud as she padded around barefoot.

She called in sick to work for three straight days and her cell phone blew up with concerned check-in calls from co-workers she was close with and Blue. Erik sent one text with a picture of Lil Man, and a short video of the foal running around his new Mommy. It made her smile as she curled up on her couch and moped.

Blue sent her a text on day three that she would need to have a doctor's release if she took any more days off from work. Quitting came to mind until Rekia dropped in on her. They sat on her porch as the sun went down and drank ice water.

"Just go to the little clinic down the way and get you a doctor's note. We miss you at TLS."

Kris ran her fingers through her unkempt hair that sat flat and lifeless on her scalp. She had used a curling iron on it to make her hair cute for Jordan when he left, but she hadn't combed it since and it was a disheveled mess in need of a good washing, oiling, and flat ironing. It grew a little cool outside and Kris pulled Jordan's old red button-up shirt around his ribbed white undershirt that she had underneath with a pair of loose shorts.

"I don't have the energy to work," she said.

Kris's neighbor five houses down, Malik, rode past them on an old palomino gelding named King with his friend Zebbie straddling a coffee-bean horse named Cookie.

"Hey girl," Malik said eyeing Kris like she was a snack.

"Hey, Malik," she said trying to ignore him and Zebbie.

They were nice guys but tended to engage in long drawn-out conversations that Kris was not in the mood for at that moment. Being from the east coast she needed them to get to their point and keep it moving so she could keep moping in peace.

Malik and Zebbie gave Rekia a good once over with their eyes and she was curious about their game, but she glanced over at Kris and saw that the vibe was not open to that.

"Y'all have a good ride," Kris said turning her body toward Rekia.

The men rode on and Kris smacked a few chiggers that bit her. She already had plenty of red bumps up and down her legs but the summer heat made them more active and vicious with her sensitive skin. Scratching her legs, she pondered her future with Rekia and pulled Jordan's shirt around her more. She slipped her right fingers into the right breast pocket of the shirt to fix the flap over the button and she felt a slender lump tucked inside. She pulled it out and smiled. Jordan had left a joint behind that he had forgotten about. Her eyes darted around and she pushed it back down for later. She was not a big smoker but Jordan had rolled it himself and she wanted to savor it and forget her pain.

She talked with Rekia until her porch security light came on.

"Please don't quit," Rekia said.

Rekia stood up and Kris stayed put as she lamented the darkness and the lonely bed waiting for her.

"I don't want to go to the clinic, and I don't want to anything—"

"My God, girl. Cry your tears and get it together! You can party with us now. This is a vacation. Every time me and Miranda asked you to go out, you never wanted to go anywhere unless Jordan wanted to go too. He ain't here, so live it up."

Kris shook her head.

"I'm going home. You can have your woe-is-me party by yourself."

Rekia studied her face.

"Do you need me to stay? I'll do it, but we're not having all this sad energy."

"I want to be sad in peace—"

Kris saw Erik's truck pull up behind Rekia's hatchback.

"Gurrll…." Rekia muttered.

Erik stepped out of his truck just as Zebbie and Malik rode back down the street. They checked Erik out before their nosey eyes glanced over at her like they caught her doing something scandalous.

Erik stared at her and Kris touched her hair feeling like she looked as hot a mess as she felt.

""sup, Rekia?"

"Tryna get this girl to get her act together. She's still not feeling great."

Rekia gave Kris a look as she threw her purse on her arm.

"Feel better, Sis," Rekia said walking down the steps to her car.

Erik strolled closer and put one foot on her bottom step.

"I know you're hiding out," he said.

"I haven't been feeling well."

"Use that on Blue. My Nana wants you at the house. North Carolina is in three days and you haven't gotten back to her."

"I don't think I'm going to the trail ride."

"Then you better tell her and your grandmother something. We're planning on taking an extra trailer for you and your grandmother to ride in so you don't have to fly out there."

"When did this happen?"

"Answer messages and you'd know."

"My grandmother is out of town. She didn't mention all that."

"Get in touch with my grandmother. She's getting things put into place, and if you're not going then let her know."

Kris felt pressure in her chest. She scratched her leg and it drew Erik's attention.

"Tearing you up," he said.

Kris stood up and walked into her house.

"Can I come in?"

She turned to look at him through the screen.

"Did you come to tell me about the trip?"

"Yeah. And to check on you. Ain't seen you in a minute."

"You haven't been at TLS."

"Busy at the Roux."

"Hmmm."

"So, nah?"

"Huh?"

"You don't want me to come in?"

"I'm okay."

"You don't look okay."

"I know I look like shit—"

"I didn't say all that."

She opened the screen door for him and he stepped in.

"I don't have air conditioning so it's going to be an oven in here, even with the ceiling fan running."

"I'm used to it."

"You want some ice water?"

He nodded and she walked into her kitchen and fixed him up with ice and bottled water in a wide jelly glass.

"Here."

She handed it to him.

"Kinda dark in here," he said.

She only had the tarot room lamplight on and the porch security light bounced into the living room. Kris reached over and turned on a standing lamp next to the couch he sat on. Erik's eyes looked gentle in the added light. She could smell her oil on him.

"I have to get a doctor's note to come back to work."

"You really plan on coming back?"

She shrugged.

"Just gonna sit in the house?"

She shrugged again and reached into Jordan's pocket and pulled out the joint. He stared at it.

"I know Texas isn't legal. You have a problem with it?"

"It's your business in your own house."

"You smoke?"

"Yeah."

She reached for her lighter on the coffee table next to her incense burner and lit the joint. She pulled in a long drag and choked on it almost dropping the weed. Erik took it from her hand and watched her hack like crazy.

"This ain't regular for you," he teased.

She reached for the joint after she caught her breath.

"Jordan left it. I need to relax."

Erik took it back and puffed twice before passing it to her. She watched him handle it like a pro. Trying again, she still coughed and he grinned.

"Here. Watch."

He held the joint to his full lips and showed her how to do it. He handed it to her and she did better, holding the smoke down in her lungs longer before releasing the smoke toward his face. They sat together quietly passing the weed back and forth until she began to feel the effects.

"You alright?"

"This feels stronger than the last time I tried it."

"Tried it?"

Kris felt her head nodding vigorously before her brain told it to.

"Kris?"

Erik's voice sounded slow and she stood up abruptly from the couch. He pulled her hand and made her sit back down.

"It feels…weird," she said jumping back up again.

Tunnel vision clouded her eyes and she stepped away from the couch backward. She placed her right foot forward and tried to walk toward the front door, but her body went backward instead.

"Something's wrong," she yelped.

Her body felt hotter and she pulled off Jordan's button-up and tossed it on the floor. She wrestled control of her feet again and shuffled carefully to the bathroom.

"Kris, calm down…it's just a bad trip…"

She drowned out Erik's voice with the shower nozzle over her head as she sprayed cold water on it to make the tingling and scary warping in her brain stop. Hands pulled the nozzle out her shaking fingers. He rubbed a towel on her wet hair.

"Come with me…"

Erik's voice floated high above her head and her limbs became heavy. The house felt like a furnace and her fingers slipped under the t-shirt lifting it up.

"Whoa, keep your clothes on, girl!"

Erik held his arms around her on the couch and she folded into him.

"I'm sinking into the couch!"

"No, you're not. I got you. The weed is just hitting you hard."

She clutched at his arm terrified she was going to be swallowed into the seat cushion.

"I'm dying!"

"You're not dying."

Kris clicked her teeth together and they grew huge in her mouth.

"My teeth…"

Staring up at Erik, he looked so far away. She chomped down and the clacking of her molars sounded loud and ominous.

"I'm not smoking ever again!"

The words fell out of her mouth and she touched her tongue. Her fingers slipped deep down into her throat as her jaw unhinged and fell on her chest. The tears came then as huge eyes peered down at her. Erik's face looked like it was as wide as the room above her. So many teeth in his mouth.

"I got you…" he said.

She sank into the couch as Erik's face vanished.

###

Erik felt a couch spring in his back that caused discomfort waking him up from a hazy sleep. Opening his eyes, he stared at a low ceiling that let him know he wasn't home in his own bed. A weight against his chest made him look down.

He exhaled hard when he saw Kris hugged up on him with her t-shirt twisted between them. Any and all fantasies he had about what she had under her work shirts were dispelled.

"Fuck," he mumbled trying not to stare but unable to look away fast enough.

Her face was pressed up against his right pec with her slender right arm flung above her head resting on the armrest. Her left breast was mashed against his side, but her right one was just out there, full and heavy. She had a tiny nipple and a huge brown areola that made his mouth grow wet. His dick had already stirred and thickened in his sleep. He couldn't stop staring at her chest. His left hand itched to palm it just to make sure the perfection of it was real, but he reached up and tugged down on her t-shirt to cover her.

He touched her damp hair and let his thumb drag down her cheek to wake her up.

"Kris," he whispered.

Tapping her arm, she finally returned to consciousness, and he watched her eyes try to fathom why she was laid up next to him. Her right arm came down and rested on his chest and he liked the warm feel of it there. Kris turned her head to look at the front window. It was daytime.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"I don't want to do that again," she whispered.

She looked up at him with the saddest looking eyes and he stroked her arm.

"You were freaking out for a long time until the weed cleared your system."

"My face fell apart and then I went deep down into the couch."

"I was holding you the whole time."

She pressed her forehead against his chest.

"I still feel like I could fall again."

"It was some good shit," he said.

"You didn't have a bad experience with it?"

"Nah. I been had all kinds of strains."

She clutched at his arm and closed her eyes tight.

"My eyes are spinning a little…why is my hair wet?"

She stroked a loose strand that fell on her cheek.

"You sprayed water on your head and tried to take your clothes off."

Kris glanced down at her t-shirt and shifted her arms to rest against her chest. Her breasts filled out and spilled out from the garment on the sides. Erik tried to shift his hip, but Kris caught sight of the heavy dick print in his pants. She stared at it for a long time before she looked away. He moved his left arm over it to shield her from having to see it again. He felt himself grow harder as he thought off his mouth covering that big areola he saw. His dick throbbed and a small sigh slipped from his lips. He needed her to get off of him.

Pushing back from her, Erik tried to sit up.

"Wait…please. I still don't feel well. My teeth still feel huge and I can't…I can't keep the back of my eyes from rolling."

He eased back against her and she cuddled up tighter on his chest. His erection pressed into her shorts and she didn't seem to mind.

"Do you feel like you're going to throw up?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"I just keep having a falling sensation. Like I'm going down a rollercoaster…that tumbling feeling. I might sink down again. I'm sorry you had to stay here."

"Don't worry about it. I don't have to be anywhere this morning."

"I'm sorry…"

Her voice faded.

Kris looked so sweet against him. He moved his arm around her tighter and he heard her sigh like a huge weight was released from her. She fell back asleep and he held her for hours. He relished the contentment he felt in holding a woman and not expecting more from the contact. Kris wanted him there and he would stay for as long as she needed him.

Jordan was a damn fool.

Erik was glad he was gone.


	17. Turnin' Me Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris goes to work and Erik gets worked over...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is doing well! I guess my country is just going to let some domestic terrorists trash DC without consequences. Le sigh.

"Uh Baby keep on turnin' me up  
Baby keep on turnin' me up  
It's just the little, bitty things you do that keeps on turnin' me up  
Keep doing that thang you're doing to me  
That sweet lil thang you're doing to me, babe  
It's just the little, bitty things you do, that keep on turnin' me up  
Sometimes it makes me wanna say woooo

BJ the Chicago Kid – "Turnin' Me Up"

Kris scribbled a drink and food order on her pad near the bar and took a moment to catch her breath after delivering the requests. Her section had two back-to-back birthday groups and they were keeping her busy running around with service.

She was glad that she came to work.

Being at TLS took her mind off of Jordan, but it laser-focused her thoughts on Erik. Waking up to him had been an odd experience, and knowing that he had guided her down from a terrible high was embarrassing. He was inside his office with Blue, had been in there for a long time, and she was paranoid that he was watching her through the two-way glass. She did her best to keep her back to it as much as possible when she made trips to the bar.

Kris was bothered that she liked Erik being with her in the house. It made her feel like she couldn't be alone without Jordan being there. He bought her a take-out plate of red beans and rice with smothered chicken strips from the corner food joint in her neighborhood while she showered and tried to hot curl her hair into some type of manageable style. She ended up pinning it into a high bun with a side bang that actually curled under and stayed put. Brown eyeliner and a light bronze eyeshadow gave her baby doll eyes and she stepped it up a bit with a raisin matte lipstick that Brandy bought and hated, leaving it behind for Kris to use.

She ate a bit of the food Erik brought her and saved the rest for her after-work meal. Dressed and mentally prepared to interact with customers, she turned her attention to Erik with her keys in her hand. He had spent the entire afternoon sleeping with her on the couch. Her eyes had locked onto his as she prepared to step out of her house.

"All ready?" he asked.

She nodded and he stood up from the couch. His peach soft cotton shirt was slightly wrinkled as he tugged it down over his belt. Her mind went right back to lying against him and seeing all of that…

That heavy print in his pants she had witnessed when she first woke up with him.

Men had pitched plenty of tents in their trousers with her back in the day, and her years with Jordan had provided her with a comfortable dick she had grown accustomed to when it became erect inside clothing. But what Erik had down there…Kris could feel engorgement within her own folds staring at it. Jordan had a long dick, but what was pressing against Erik's pants was long and thick. There was girth there.

Her head still drifted with a high that lingered too long for her and she had begged him to stay with her as she felt the sensation of sinking into couch oblivion all over her again. Kris pressed her body against his to keep herself attached to the reality of another person anchored in the world, and her shifting position brought his morning erection against her mound. Her clit was a fat pea next to his dick and the friction from the thin material of her shorts rubbing against that big wood as she clung to him and moved with each falling sensation had her panting into his chest until she fell asleep. She woke back up with her panties and the crotch of her shorts sticking to her wet pussy lips. Erik was knocked out with his left arm cradling her back. Her breasts rested against him like they were meant to be there. His dick wasn't hard anymore. Thank goodness.

But now she was thinking about it at work.

What would he have done had she reached down and touched it? Circled her fingers around it just to see how really thick he was? Lord. She must really be missing Jordan if she was fantasizing about playing with another man's dick after a mean high. That's what it had to be. Confusion from terrible weed fucking up her mental state.

A chill ran down her back.

Was he watching her at that moment? Watching her as she thought about squeezing his length?

"Get a grip," she muttered under her breath.

She worked, took her breaks, and joked around with Rekia.

Walking back from the kitchen with a tray of boneless Buffalo wings and pork sliders, Kris saw Miss Rae and Mr. Stevens walk into the saloon. Mr. Stevens carried a medium-sized box in his arms. They stood near the entrance looking around until Miss Rae spotted Kris placing plates of food in front of patrons.

"Kris!"

Miss Rae waved and she walked toward Kris with Mr. Stevens following.

"Hello, Sweetheart!"

Miss Rae gave her a big kiss on her cheek.

"Would you like me to find you two a seat?"

"Oh no, we just came from eating out and wanted to drop off some things for you. I've been trying to get you to come up to the Roux and get these riding lessons—"

"I know. I'm sorry. I've just been feeling under the weather and disconnected from the world for a few days. What are these things you want to drop off?"

"Excuse me brothas," Mr. Stevens said as he placed the box on the table of two Black men chugging down beer.

The men had no issues with sharing their table and Kris wondered if they knew who Miss Rae and Mr. Stevens were. Miss Rae carefully pulled apart the box lid and pulled out some framed photos.

"I thought you might like to add these to your history tour here."

Kris took two photos from her hand and looked them over. One picture had a sepia-toned shot of an old woman with a proud dark face and thick puffy hair piled high into a style popular in the late nineteenth century.

"This is a copy of a precious photo of my family. This is Ella Caddo. My great-great-great-grandmother. One of the early Black Texans. She raised money for the first AME church that was built here. That church was also the first school for Black children in Mariscal. There are some pictures of that church before it was rebuilt, and there are some pictures in here of early Black pioneers in our city…oh, and here is one that is very special…"

Miss Rae handed Mr. Stevens the picture frames and he allowed the two men at the table to admire them as Miss Rae brought out a nice-sized gold-embossed frame.

"Recognize anyone?" Miss Rae said with a sly grin.

Kris looked at the color picture of an older gentleman with twinkling eyes looking down at two little kids running around his legs.

"No," Kris said.

Miss Rae giggled and her satin-lavender painted index fingernail touched the face of the older man.

"This is Mr. Lu Vason. He created the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. He passed away a few years ago, but we always took our grandkids out to his rodeo to compete. This was in Atlanta, Georgia and your parents brought you out there for your Grandmother's birthday celebration. That's you running, and that's Erik going after you to bring you back to your Mama. You were two years old and Erik was four."

Kris looked at the photo even harder. She had chunky legs in a little orange toddler sundress and sandals. She could see the pink bottoms of a plastic diaper protector showing under her dress as her tiny bow-legs hustled away from Erik who had a grip on her hand but no control of her speed. His mouth was open yelling and he was missing his two front teeth. Two little caterpillar eyebrows looked perplexed on his forehead. He wore small brown boots with jeans and a neatly-pressed red checkered cowboy shirt. The cowboy hat he had on his head was falling back onto his neck held by a loose string. The look of shock on his face at not being able to stop Kris cracked her up.

"You were learning how to run with those fat legs and your Mama could not keep up with you," Miss Rae gushed.

"None of us could," Mr. Stevens added, "Every time we looked up you had run off somewhere and Erik became your official wrangler."

"Ooh, chile, he was so done with you by the time that rodeo was over!" Miss Rae chuckled.

She stared at Kris's face.

"You don't remember any of that?"

"No, Ma'am."

Kris touched the picture of herself. Her hair was fixed the same way she had it now. A little high bun and bangs.

"That man there was responsible for spreading our history all across the country. Lu was the kindest, most proud man I have ever met. He loved our culture and he loved children. I think Erik's proudest moment was having Lu cheer for him the first time he competed in a Bill Pickett rodeo. He was fifteen."

Miss Rae lovingly stroked the frame thinking of her grandson.

"I put some notes on the backs of the frames with dates and names. I'm sure with your brilliant research you can add things to them."

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll take these to the office for now."

"Is Erik here?"

"The office."

"I'll follow you then."

"I'm going to have a drink at the bar," Mr. Stevens said.

"No more brown liquor tonight," Miss Rae said.

"One glass of wine, woman," Mr. Stevens said easing his tall imposing body toward the counter.

Kris lifted the box in her arms and led Miss Rae to the office. She knocked on the door and waited for one of the guys to answer it. Blue just yelled for them to come in.

"Hey, Miss Rae!"

Blue came from behind the desk and gave Miss Rae a hug. Kris's eyes flitted over to the side chair near the desk. Erik sat there with his cell in his hand. When their eyes met, he seemed to check her over to make sure she was doing okay. His grandmother walked over to him and rubbed his back.

"How's it going?" she asked.

"Good. Pop Pop here with you?"

"Yeah. We're dropping some pictures off for Kris to hang up here."

Kris place the box on the edge of the desk and pulled out the Atlanta photo.

"She showed me this one. Do you remember this at all?" Kris said.

Erik reached for the picture and took it.

"Mr. Vason…that's me and my snakeskins…I loved those boots…"

His eyes regarded the other child in the picture.

"That's me," Kris said.

Erik's head went back a bit and a smile creased his lips.

"Should've known by those legs," he teased.

"Every time," she mumbled.

"I remember the trip. I don't remember this—"

"Kris was the baby you kept running after that day."

"Wait…the one that fell down the bleachers?"

"Yes!"

"What?" Kris said looking at them both with questioning eyes.

"We were watching the bull riding and somehow you got off your Daddy's lap and ran down the steps. You tumbled over and fell in between some seats. Erik ran down to get you and he lost his balance and knocked out one of his teeth," Miss Rae said.

"Thanks for that," Erik said glaring at Kris.

"It was a loose tooth bound to come out anyway. You didn't die," Miss Rae said.

She glanced over at Kris.

"You had a big knot on your head. Your father carried you the rest of your time there."

Erik looked at the picture again and then handed it back to Kris.

"So…can I expect you at the Roux tomorrow? Selena is going to help introduce you to Sunshine, the mare you'll ride—"

"Um, Miss Rae… I don't know if I'll be able to…"

Her voice broke off when she saw Erik shake his head. Miss Rae leaned against the desk and studied Kris's face.

"You are coming to North Carolina, right?"

"Miss Rae—"

"She better be, I have her schedule covered for the week," Blue said sitting back down at his desk chair.

What was stopping her?

Work, despite her risqué thoughts of Erik, turned out fine. It kept her busy. Active. Being around other people lifted her mood.

"Kris, it's going to be a trip you'll never forget, I promise you. It's so much fun, and as a historian, I think you'd appreciate being around something like this. Maybe you could write a paper about it? A history of trail rides, or something like that. I sure would love for you to spend time with me and your grandmother. Not too many of your family go anymore, and May would be so proud to show you off to all of our friends."

There was a kind pleading in Miss Rae's voice. Kris also liked the idea of writing something. There was a call for papers for a D.C. Academic conference and journal with a December deadline. She could use the trip for research and write about it when she returned. Maybe even interview her grandmother and Miss Rae about their love of attending trail rides since they were teenagers.

"What time should I come up for my lessons?"

Miss Rae rubbed her hands together with glee in her eyes.

"Come at seven. I'll cook a big breakfast and then you can go riding with Selena. You can watch Asha practice her barrel runs too. In fact, pack up the things you want to bring for the trip and stay with us at the house. We can get you as much practice as possible and then we'll pick up your grandmother when we all hit the road. It's going to be a huge caravan this year!"

Miss Rae looked at Erik.

"I'ma need you, Biandro, and Caddo to do some patrols tomorrow and check on that night camera stream."

"Will do," Erik said. He stood up and Kris placed the picture of the two of them back into the box.

"I'm so excited!" Miss Rae gushed.

Kris followed her back out of the office and when they stepped over to the bar, Miss Rae looked around.

"Now where did that man go?"

Kris glanced around the bar searching for Mr. Stevens.

"There he is, Nana," Erik said.

Mr. Stevens was standing near the dance floor watching people dance.

"See you tomorrow," Miss Rae said.

Kris watched Erik's grandmother collect her husband and they left the saloon with pleased expressions.

"Thanks," Erik said.

He posted up on a bar seat next to her as she alerted the bar staff that she was back.

"Thanks for what?"

"Going to North Carolina. My grandmother likes to bring new people out there, and she was really looking forward to having you. I know she and Miss May have ulterior motives too, but it makes them happy. I like seeing my grandmother happy. She's had a stressful few months."

"Really? Why?"

"The cougar. Partnering up with a new company to process our cattle meat. We also have some fellow ranchers getting a little salty about some land she's a steward for. She wants to turn into a mustang sanctuary and that shit deals with the Bureau of Land Management, and some people she's been supporting in other states who are fighting ranchers over land rights are getting some negative pushback. It's a lot. She's older but still feisty. She worries about us…her grandkids. She wants us to carry on the work at the ranch but she worries we may get like your family."

"How's that?"

"Moving away. Having families in far off places and losing touch with the land. The older ones stay, but a lot are leaving."

"Are you thinking about leaving?"

"Nah. I'm here for life."

"But things do change."

"They do. I think she believes if one more young person sees the culture, they'll want to preserve it too, no matter where they go. Pass it on so it won't be forgotten."

"Yeah, but the Stevens family…y'all are like a Black cowboy dynasty here—"

"But dynasties have to grow, add new blood…"

Erik's eyes danced across hers before he gazed out at the dance floor.

"You look better," he said.

"I feel better."

"Good."

"I better run over there and make these people happy," she said taking out her order pad.

"Don't make me chase after you with all that running," he quipped.

He winked his eye at her and walked over to the DJ booth to talk to Nathaniel.

Kris watched him and tried her best to remember Erik as a child. Nothing about him stood out in her mind from the past. But it was a cute picture, and she wanted to hang it up in a special place to honor Lu Vason.

###

Erik sprayed Kris's protective mixture across his head and down his sides before grabbing the cash drop of money from the saloon office. He adjusted his gun in the holster under his jacket as he stuffed the money bag against his chest. The world wasn't a completely cashless society so he still had to go to the bank every night he worked. He fired up his truck and cracked the windows as he turned down the speakers. No one needed to hear loud music at two-thirty in the morning.

He watched Kris meander out with a few other servers. They huddled together in a protective grouping. He saw her hop into her car and warm it up. Erik didn't pull out until he saw her leave first.

At a stoplight, he checked his phone. Arletta texted asking for him to bring her something to eat. He was smart enough to have the kitchen whip up some sliders and a chicken quesadilla for her, things that could heat up easily and still taste good even after sitting for an hour or two in the big walk-in fridge at the saloon.

After a fifteen-minute drive, he turned into a bank parking lot. Taking in his surroundings, he grabbed his deposit key and exited the truck. Moving swiftly, he opened the dropbox and deposited the cash. Making his way back to his truck he kept his eyes and ears on alert. There were folks being robbed of cash deposits. He would normally wait until morning, but he hated having large amounts of cash in the bar or on him away from the bar.

Slipping into the driver's seat, he left the bank and eased onto a freeway on-ramp. The near-empty freeway helped him cut across the city fast to get to Arletta's place. Her roommate opened the door, but it wasn't Farrah. It was some new girl. A fine one too. Short sandy hair with Bantu knots. Slender build at the top with wide hips and big thighs from what he could see in the short nightgown she wore when she opened the door.

"Sup?" he said walking past her.

She had the tv on in the art deco living room and a bowl of chips on the low-sitting couch.

"Arletta's in her room."

The woman sat on the couch and resumed eating her snack. Erik held up the bag of food he brought from the bar.

"Got a bunch of BBQ pulled pork sliders in here with some chicken quesadilla's," he offered.

"I don't do pork or dairy," she said.

Erik took the food into the kitchen and sat it near the microwave. Arletta sauntered in and hugged him from the back.

"I've missed you," she cooed.

"You don't act like it," he said.

"Work has had me busy and traveling."

"Hmmm."

"Thank you for bringing me food."

He grabbed two plates from the cupboard above the microwave and placed them near the bag. He washed his hands in the sink and plated things for her and stuck it in the microwave heating the sliders for two minutes. He switched it out for the quesadilla and soon Arletta was curled up in a chair stuffing her face.

She wore a tube top and boy shorts, and all Erik could see was a big beautiful body and visions of diving into her as soon as she finished chowing down.

"I missed your wild ass too," he said.

Arletta wiped a bit of BBQ sauce from her lips with a napkin on the table. She cocked her head to the side.

"Vanessa hasn't been keeping you satisfied?"

"I don't mess with her anymore. Not lately."

"What happened?"

"The usual. Nothing. She's been busy too I guess."

Arletta smirked and tore into her quesadilla.

"What happened to Farrah?"

"She got pregnant and moved in with the father of her baby."

"What? That fast?"

"She's been trying to have a family."

"Was it planned? Like on both ends?'

Arletta shrugged.

"They both seemed happy when she packed her stuff up. But she's only been with her boyfriend for eight months. Couldn't be me."

Arletta looked down at her plate.

"This was a lot. Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm good. I offered some to um…what's her name out there?"

"Claudia," the woman said walking into the kitchen.

She filled her empty bowl of chips up with some grapes from on top of the fridge and left them alone. Arletta leaned in.

"A bitch," she whispered.

"Why did you room with her then?"

"I had no choice. Farrah left before thirty days and I needed to cover this place. It's expensive over here, and I just bought a new car. Plus, I'll be moving soon."

"Moving?"

Arletta took the extra food and stored it in the fridge. She grabbed his hand and led him through the living room and past her new roommate. Erik sat on her bed as she brushed her teeth and gargled with mouth wash in the hall bathroom.

Kicking off his black sneakers and pulling off his jacket, Erik placed his gun and holster on the nightstand. He made himself comfortable on Arletta's bed until she returned.

"Finish telling me about moving," he said.

She crawled onto the bed and snuggled against him.

"That's why I've been gone a lot and just ghosted you this week when you wanted to hook up. I have a job offer in Atlanta, and I want to take it. More money. Same company. I found a new roommate there in a nice house close to the job."

"When?"

"Next month."

"Wow."

"I was going to tell you before I dipped. I still want to see you."

"I don't do long distance, Arletta."

"You will with me."

"You presume a lot."

She tugged on his shirt, forcing him to take it off. He did. Along with his undershirt. He shook off his jeans making sure Kris's stones stayed put, and Arletta reached into the fly of his boxer briefs and pulled out his dick.

"You'll come running to me for this," she whispered before wrapping her lips around the tip of his glans and suckling it with soft wet tongue squeezes.

"Shit," Erik said as he reached down and stroked her loose hair.

Arletta's hair without twists was soft and thin and hung past her shoulder blades. Smacking her lips on his dick, she pulled back and shimmied out of her boy shorts. He pulled her tube top over her head and tossed it aside, pushing her legs back. Resting his face between her thighs he lapped his tongue against her opening folds, her wide juicy mound pliant as his fingers grabbed for it along with a soft handful of her stomach.

She whimpered as he took care of her vulva. Sucking on her clit, he fingered her gently as she panted and spoke to him.

"You can come see me on the weekends in my new place…just like that Erik, keep doing that…right there…yes, making me so wet…you'll miss this pussy, Daddy. I know you will. You'll come get it…won't you? Won't you…oh God! Erik!"

Arletta came in his mouth shrieking his name and he licked up everything while dipping his tongue in and out of her slit to help prolong her orgasm. He kissed his way back up her body and planted his tongue inside her mouth. He was so ready to put on a condom and fuck the breath out of her. He was so horny and eager to find much-needed release after such a long punishing drought of pussy.

Arletta cradled him in her arms and he nuzzled his lips against her neck. She held onto him as her panting subsided. He reached for the condom he placed on the nightstand for easy access and before he could rip it open, Arletta was already knocked out.

"You gotta be fucking joking. Arletta…baby…aye…"

Erik shook her with gentle nudges to her shoulder and hip, but she snoozed. Deeply.

He sat back and watched her sleep until he felt his teeth grinding together. His dick sat ramrod straight on his belly. Reaching over the side of the bed, he grabbed his jeans and pulled them on. He slipped the condom in the pocket when he walked out of the bedroom to go use the bathroom across the hall. He rinsed his mouth with water and mouthwash using his index finger to clean his teeth before washing his hands. Gripping the sink, he waited a few minutes and his dick grew soft. Walking out to the living room, he passed Claudia and stepped into the kitchen where he heated up a quesadilla for himself. Eating it, he noticed a bottle of Henny on the kitchen table that was half full behind a loaf of bread. He grabbed it and poured himself a small glass with a clean one he found in the dish rack.

"You're hitting the bottle too?" Claudia said walking in with an empty snack bowl.

"A little taste. Why?"

"Arletta was going to town with it before you got here. Celebrating her new job."

"She's leaving and you just got here."

"I can afford this place on my own. When she leaves it'll be all mine."

Claudia's eyes fell onto his naked chest and he grew self-conscious. He stood up and put the empty glass of liquor in the sink and washed it clean. Turning to face Claudia again, she was still watching him, especially the way his jeans hung low on his waist. He left the belt in the bedroom along with his underwear.

Claudia was not shy at all about staring at his body.

He eyed hers back.

Nice shapely legs with a small tattoo of Texas on her right ankle. Soft-looking warm honey skin with seductive hazel eyes. There was a boldness about this one and Erik needed to tread lightly around her.

"Hand me a glass," she said picking up the bottle of Henny.

Erik pulled one from the stack of drying ones on the dish rack. He grabbed the one he used minutes ago too.

Claudia poured them both drinks and they clinked glasses and sipped together.

"She fall asleep on you?"

Erik grinned after he gulped down his liquor.

"Yeah."

"Sounded like you were treating her well before that."

"You heard us?"

"The door was open."

"Was it? Sorry."

"She's a bit performative. Likes to call attention to herself during the act."

Erik hadn't been there for weeks so he knew Claudia was letting him know Arletta was fucking other dudes. He figured as much with the pussy she had.

"She didn't sound like she was acting this time," Claudia said.

"You don't mince words. Just met me and telling me shit like that?"

Claudia shrugged.

She held out the Henny bottle to him. He set his glass next to it and she poured him more. Her eyes drifted to the window in the kitchen.

"Raining," she said.

It was. Fairly hard too.

Claudia washed her glass in the sink and went back into the living room. Erik sat in his seat and sipped slowly. When he finished, he stuck the glass in the sink without washing it. Slipping into the living room he saw that Claudia was curled up on the couch.

"Whatchu watching?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said flipping channels with the remote.

The rain pattering against the structure outside was loud. Erik plopped down on the couch next to Claudia.

"I'll watch nothing with you," he said.

He didn't feel like going back into Arletta's bedroom and listening to her snore. He didn't come over to cuddle. He came to fuck. Erik opted to kill some time watching TV before trying to wake her up again. A drinking Arletta was a hard sleeper. Let her catch some snoozes for an hour. He closed her bedroom door.

Erik settled into watching a docuseries about serial killers with Claudia. Rain fell even harder, Arletta snored behind her door, and he found himself amused with the new roommate's comments about white people on the show looking normal as hell while they planted bodies in their backyards and had family barbecues there afterward as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. After three episodes played, Erik went to check on Arletta but she was still out. He grew frustrated and went to take a long piss in the bathroom releasing a bit of Henny from his system.

Go home.

He wasn't going to be beating up any walls or cumming in her ass. Biandro's curse was still hindering him, although he was happy that his dick was working again.

Erik stepped out into the hall and saw Claudia going to her bedroom. She paused at the entrance after she flicked on the lights.

"No luck?"

He shook his head. She smirked at him.

"Well, I guess you'll have to have some alternative plans then," she purred.

Erik watched her unfasten her gown and let it drop to the floor.

He stared at Claudia's nude figure and thought of all the clever and dismissive things he could say, but his dick did the talking for him when her fingers dropped down to her clean-shaven pussy lips and played with them.

"Fuck, stop playing," he said.

He didn't budge from the bathroom doorway as he should've.

"You scared?" she said.

Claudia pulled apart her fleshy inner lips so he could see the glossy pink he could be swimming in.

"I don't think you can handle what I got, girl—"

"You're scared."

The canine in him came out.

Justifying shit.

Arletta was leaving. He was going to be out of town for a week in North Carolina and most likely fucking other women while he was there. She was in a drunken sleep. He could fuck Claudia real quick and dip, never to see either one of them again.

That new pussy was making squelching sounds and his dick throbbed. The condom was already in his pocket.

Erik took a step forward.

"'Sup then?"


	18. You Know I'm No Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik's messy ass...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Humming along!

"Then you notice little carpet burn  
My stomach drop and my guts churn  
You shrug and it's the worst  
Who truly stuck the knife in first

I cheated myself  
Like I knew I would  
I told you I was trouble  
You know that I'm no good"

Amy Winehouse—"You Know I'm No Good"

The sex was terrible.

Well, not terrible on the surface of it, but the face of it…fuck.

Erik and Claudia didn't waste any time getting to it. Once he shut the bedroom door their lips were fused and their Henny-coated kisses guided his jeans to the floor and the condom on his length. The rain outside serenaded them and the smokey gray thunder clouds kept the early morning sky dark and gloomy. The red satin comforter was cool under his fingers as he placed Claudia down gently on it. She spread those thick legs and cupped her breasts. Her fingers pinched the rose gold of her nipples and Erik dragged his fat erection up and down her slick folds. He pressed forward and gave her a taste and she moaned low in her throat. He flexed his back and neck and pushed in deeper spreading her inner lips wide. A desperate groan rang out of her mouth and he smothered her lips with his to keep her quiet.

Dropping his head down once he was rooted deep within her, he watched the lazy bounce of her tits as his dick rubbed against the contours inside of her body. He hunkered down to do some serious pumping with the smooth twist in his hips as Claudia gripped his biceps.

"Fuck me," she moaned.

He lifted up her right leg for leverage and when he glanced down at her face, Claudia's lips were pursed tight and her eyes were open but rolled far back into her head. Erik looked away for a second, but when he peered at her face again, her eyes were still rolling all open like she was some doll with broken peepers knocking around loose in the dome.

Erik shifted his body and tried not to stare at her as he tried to get his dick taken care of, but Claudia kept doing the open eye rolls over and over and he felt his stomach churn looking at it. He tried turning her over to hit it from the back but she had her legs wrapped tight around his hips

Planting his eyes on her breasts once more, Erik gave her nice rhythmic strokes and concentrated on getting a quick nut and getting the fuck gone. The build-up of tension in his scrotum shifted to the base of his dick and the quick throbs he felt squeezing down there made him pump a little faster. He messed up and looked at Claudia in the face again. Her lips were twisted sideways and those damn eyes were still open and rolled back to the whites.

Closing his eyes, Erik grunted in despair at the huge mistake he made following his dick instead of his brain. He tried to envision Arletta bouncing on his length and giving him all that gushy sweetness she had between her legs. Throwing his head back, Erik did his best to keep Arletta at the forefront of his brain even though he knew it was trash to think of her while she was sleeping across the hall and he was fucking her roommate.

He still couldn't cum.

"This shit was supposed to help me," he mumbled thinking of the oil he could smell on his skin as he sweated from useless exertion on top of Claudia.

The scent made him think of Kris and her face came to him as he imagined her being pressed against him with her small hands tucked against her chest. Erik bit his bottom lip as his eyelids squeezed tighter bringing her sharper image into focus. Kris clutched onto him to keep from falling and he held her close and murmured soft words into her ear telling her she was safe and secure.

His balls throbbed. The memory of her undershirt twisted up and revealing her breasts trapped him in a visual loop. He wanted to caress her again…he wanted to touch her br-

"Ah…fuck!" he grunted.

Erik spurted into the condom as his body seized up.

"Yes!" Claudia shrieked under him. Her legs shook and she clawed his arms.

Erik pulled himself out of her vagina and sat upon his knees dropping heavy pants. He rolled off the bed and grabbed his pants.

"Erik…?" Claudia whispered.

Leaving the bedroom, Erik headed to the bathroom.

"What did you do?!"

Arletta stood naked in her bedroom doorway staring at Erik. Her eyes went up and down his nude form and he saw her lips grow into a snarl when she saw his dick swinging with the condom still on it filled with semen.

Erik didn't even try to make an excuse. He sat his jeans on the sink and pulled off the condom. Tossing it into the trash can, he washed his hands and tried to think of a sorry ass thing to say when he felt Arletta's fists pounding on his back.

"Alright! Damn!" he shouted turning around.

Grabbing her hands, Erik pushed her back from him. Arletta smacked him in his chest.

"I fucked her! I messed up. You were sleep and I took advantage…Arletta!"

She ran back into the bedroom and Erik reached for his jeans. He had them halfway over his hips when Arletta returned with his gun pointed at his chest.

"Aye! Fuck you doing? Put that down! Arletta! Put it down!"

Her hands were shaking and her hair was scatted across her shoulders. Wild eyes glared at him.

"In my fucking house, Erik?!" she screamed.

"Lemme finish putting my pants on, girl."

His hands slowly pulled his pants up over his semi-erect penis. He zipped up and buttoned them before holding his hands out toward her. He stepped forward and she stepped back. Her hands became steady then. The safety was still on so Erik felt comfortable sliding closer to her. Claudia walked out of her bedroom fully naked and she halted in place when she saw Arletta with the weapon.

"Shit!" Claudia yelled.

"You dirty bitch!" Arletta screeched at her without looking at Claudia.

"Go back into your room, Claudia," Erik encouraged.

Arletta slipped her finger over the safety and released it.

"You ain't gotta be doing all this, Arletta," he pleaded.

"You didn't have to fuck her either. I go to sleep and that makes it okay? I always knew you were an ain't shit nigga with good dick, but at least you tried to act decent most of the time—"

"You right! You right! But shooting me—"

"Maybe I'll shoot her," Arletta said pointing the gun at Claudia.

"Stop…just cool down and talk to me—"

"Ain't no talking going on today. We beyond that now you dirty hoe`!"

Erik moved across the hall slowly and Arletta pivoted the gun back on him. Claudia ran into her room and slammed the door shut. They heard the audible click of the lock.

"Get your shit and get the fuck out, Erik."

He walked into Arletta's bedroom and grabbed his shirt. Pulling it on he reached for his socks and sneakers.

"Hurry up!" she yelled.

He tied the laces and noticed his briefs on the floor.

"My—"

"Fuck your underwear, nigga!"

Erik put on his holster and tossed on his jacket. Checking for his keys in the pocket of his jacket he turned his attention back to Arletta. The fury was still deep in her eyes.

"Girl, c'mon…you don't want to hurt me. You're pissed and you have a right to be."

"Trash…I hope your dick falls off—"

"Yeah…c'mon."

He stepped forward and she didn't flinch. Holding the gun out from her body, she aimed for his face.

"Arletta…"

Her eyes watered and she blinked. Erik lunged forward and grabbed the gun from her hands. She released it without fighting him. He put the safety back on and shoved it back into his holster. She stood seething in front of him with clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry—"

"No you're not. Just get out."

She stomped out of the room and shut herself up in the bathroom. He didn't have the energy to knock on the door to try and have a weak ass comforting talk. Having a gun waved at him didn't even trip him up or have him shook. Wasn't the first time. He felt…nothing. This was just another bad ending in a long history of bad endings with women instigated by him.

Erik left the apartment in a fresh downpour of rain. He drove home slowly and by the time he made it back to the Roux, the weather had eased up and the summer shower clouds had pushed along to the next city. His house was warm when he entered it. After putting his gun away, he threw himself on his bed feeling damp and moody.

Arletta was a fun woman and he just acted on primal impulses and dogged her. For wack ass sex. Irritated with his own behavior, Erik took a shower and slipped into leisure blue sweatpants and an old white university t-shirt with a giant forest green bison on it. He took some small consolation from the scandalous escapade…it looked like Biandro's curse was broken.

"Just pull back and she'll do what you want…"

Erik heard his little cousin Asha's voice outside his bedroom window that was cracked to let in air. Peering out he saw her riding her red roan horse Tricky as she was followed by Selena riding Soda Pop a prancing pie-bald showoff. Bringing up the rear was Kris on top of Sunshine the friendliest mare on the ranch with a buttery soft buckskin-colored coat. Kris's eyes were wide with caution and she looked so small on the horse. But she was riding pretty good. Her hands pulled back on the reins and Sunshine slowed down for her.

"See, you got it, Miss Kris!" Asha said in her bubbly voice.

Erik walked outside as they continued on their way.

"Hey! Where y'all going?" he called out.

"Taking Kris around the slope," Selena called back.

"Be careful," he said.

"I'm strapped," Selena shouted as they continued on.

Erik ran back into his house and changed pants throwing on clean riding jeans and slipping on boots. He drove over to the stable to get Big Man. Biandro worked on putting new horseshoes on a gray boarding horse in front of the main stable.

After saddling up Big Man, Erik climbed on him and stopped near Biandro.

"How long has Kris been here?" Erik asked.

"A couple of hours. They finally went out when the rain stopped."

"Nana wants us patrolling later," Erik said.

"I know. I didn't see anything on the night camera feed."

"Hopefully that fucker is gone for good."

"Hopefully."

Biandro dropped the hind leg of the horse and stood up.

"Just got in, huh?"

Erik nodded.

"Rough night?"

"You don't even want to know," Erik mumbled.

Erik whistled and nudged his heels into Big Man's side. The horse ran forward and Erik guided him toward his house.

###

Kris had to get accustomed to the bounce under her ass and the wide-legged stance her thighs took riding Sunshine. The horse was a big beautiful beast and Kris struggled to climb onto her. Selena helped her and Asha was the best horse teacher. Once she started riding, it all seemed to come back to her and she was amazed at memories that popped up as she bounced along following Selena and Asha.

The air on the ranch was rain shower clean and they followed along the tributary until they broke away going west into grassy lands moist with raindrops. She felt tall and powerful riding Sunshine. They stopped to allow the horses to nibble on some grass and before they took off again, they heard the clopping of heavy hooves. Kris moved Sunshine in the direction of the sound and watched Erik ride up to her.

"You look natural," he said easing Big Man next to Sunshine.

"Uh oh! Here comes trouble, " Asha said.

Three ragtag dogs came bounding their way.

"I thought Roland took them out with them," Selena said.

The dogs jumped around and the horses didn't react.

"Stuck with them now," Erik said.

Asha looked at Kris.

"That's Rza, Shaolin, and Dirty Bastard."

"I like collies," Kris said.

They moved on and Kris felt self-conscious with Erik riding next to her. The dogs frolicked and ran ahead of them as Selena and Asha gave her riding tips.

"Tonight we'll show you where to put your stuff in the trailer," Asha said.

Erik looked puzzled.

"Your grandmother had me bring my stuff with me. I'm staying here until we leave."

"I didn't see your car."

"It's parked at the guest house."

He looked away from her and Kris noticed he was a bit tense in the jaw.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"You don't look okay."

"I am."

Selena led them on a two-mile trek before turning back. Kris felt sore between the legs already and wasn't sure she could handle a longer ride in North Carolina through rough terrain.

"If it's dry enough, do you want to watch me practice?" Asha said riding next to Kris.

"Sure," Kris said.

Asha broke into a wide grin and tapped her heels against her horse. Tricky took off and Kris watched the girl race her mother back to the stable. The horses kicked up damp earth behind them and Kris wished she had more riding experience so she could race with them.

"They can handle those horses," Kris marveled.

"Asha and Selena were both riding before they could walk."

"What happened to her Dad?"

Erik rode closer to her and she admired the confident gait that Big Man had.

"He was killed overseas. Military skirmish. He was in the Army. Good dude. He died when Asha was two."

"Oh wow. She was so young."

"She doesn't remember him. His name was Quincy. Selena never remarried…or really had any type of serious relationship after that. She just raises Asha and helps run the ranch."

"They're very close…Asha and Selena."

"They're a good team. Asha has been getting her feet wet competing. She wants to be a rodeo champion one day. Selena came close when she was younger, but she gave it up."

"I like how your family works together here."

Erik looked around the land as they rode. Everything felt crisp and clear from the cleansing rain. The heavy heat of the sun was back to business evaporating any traces of precipitation. Kris leaned over and gave a few gentle scratches to Sunshine's neck.

"My parents and my Aunts and Uncles work a lot of city jobs. Corporate, some politics…banking. My generation sticks more to the actual land."

"Will a lot of them go to North Carolina?"

"Yep. You'll meet my parents, Caddo's folks, Monroe's…a lot of extended family and close friends."

"I was thinking about that picture Miss Rae showed me…the one of us in Atlanta. I don't remember any of it."

"You were only two."

"I remember a few things at that age in D.C. and Maryland, but big events like that…I go blank. I can remember a few trips down south to Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and coming back here a few times to Mariscal as a teen."

"I remember that Atlanta trip. I remember you, but just the chasing after a baby part. If y'all hadn't told me it was you in the picture, I wouldn't have known at all."

"You think maybe that's where Miss Rae and Granny May got the idea to pair us up?"

"Probably."

They rode silently until they drew closer to Erik's house.

"If I had all this, I would never leave here," she said admiring Erik's house.

"Kris! Come on!"

Asha waved frantically at Kris.

"You better get over there," Erik said.

Kris grew bold and made Sunshine do a fast trot over to the girl. Pulling back on the reins, the horse did her bidding and slowed down. She clumsily let herself down from Sunshine, but the heel of her boot got caught in the stirrup and Selena had to help free her.

"Good job," Selena said.

"One more day of riding and I think I got it," Kris said.

They walked the horses around the stable for a few minutes to cool them down. Kris returned Sunshine to a ranch hand as Selena untacked Soda Pop and then returned him to his fancy stall. Asha watered and fed Tricky and before they walked him over to the practice area, Mr. Stevens was walking over to them.

"Too muddy," he said.

"Aw, I wanted Miss Kris to see me," Asha said.

"It'll dry up and you can show her tomorrow."

Asha frowned.

"I'm here tomorrow, so I can watch you then. How about you take me to see Rosie and Lil Man?"

"Okay!"

Mr. Stevens took the reins of Tricky.

"I'll take him to Biandro," he said.

Asha grabbed Kris's hand and pulled her in a different direction as they headed to a small horse corral. There were several horses milling about and enjoying the return of dry skies.

"Oh, he looks so healthy now!"

Kris ran up to the wooden fence and peered over at Lil Man following Rosie's leisurely stroll in open space.

"Excited about the trip?" Kris asked.

"Yep. I can't wait to see my little cousin."

Asha climbed up onto the fence and sat at the top as they watched the horses frolic.

"Are you Erik's girlfriend?"

"No. Why would you ask that?"

Asha studied her face and then shrugged.

"I hear them talking about you a lot lately. I thought maybe you were."

"Who is them?"

"My Mom. Pop Pop. Nana. Miss May."

Asha brushed her pants off.

"Do you like him?"

"For a friend."

"That's it?"

"That's it. I have a boyfriend already."

"Too bad. You seem nice."

"He doesn't date nice girls?"

Asha burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

Asha pointed to Lil Man.

"He keeps kicking out his back legs and Rosie gets so annoyed when he does that!"

Kris giggled too as she watched the happy little foal jump around as silly as he could be. After thirty minutes, Asha led her back to the main house where an early lunch was waiting for them all. Cranberry chicken salad and roasted turkey sandwiches on fresh croissants. Erik and Biandro joined them and Kris enjoyed eavesdropping on family time as they chatted about the day, city gossip, and the trip to North Carolina.

She caught Erik looking at her from time to time as he sat two seats down and across from her. He participated in the conversations but grew quiet toward the end. Something was on his mind.

After lunch, she walked down to the guest house to take a nap. Before dinner, she took some time to talk to Miss Rae about the trail ride and found that she had nearly filled up a small journal she had brought to take notes in for the trip. The woman was a whole library of stories. Her mind was sharp and she had Kris in a story haze. Dinner was homemade flatbread pizza with several kinds of meats and cheeses. Around eight, Erik headed out of the big house to go to TLS.

"I want to go," she told him.

"Why?"

"I want to see Rekia before we leave."

"C'mon then," he said heading to his truck.

The ride over was pleasant and Erik made a few stops at an auto store and a smoke shop before they made it to the TLS parking lot. Inside was busy as usual and Kris enjoyed walking around and not working. She played with the punching bag and tried a quick ride on the mechanical bull as Erik did some office work with Blue.

"Ready for North Carolina?" Rekia asked.

Kris leaned against the dance floor divider as Rekia spent her break time with her.

"I am. I'm excited. A little nervous. I'll be around the bulk of the Stevens family."

"I wish I were going. I've never been to North Carolina. Hell, I've never been out of Texas before."

"Really?"

"I'm a homebody. But I wish I could go just to see Caddo."

"Yeah?"

"He is soooo gorgeous. Every time he comes in here, I feel my heart flutter. I hear he's seeing someone though. For a minute I thought I had a chance. He was just hanging out here all the time."

"I thought Monroe was your guy."

"He is…girl they all are!"

Rekia tapped her shoulder.

"Have fun for me and take a lot of pictures and videos. I hear the night time gets wild out there."

"I will."

Rekia gave Kris a hug and Erik stepped out of the office and looked around.

"I think we're leaving now," she said.

Rekia smirked.

"What?" Kris said.

"He shows up at your house to console you, and now you're bopping around doing errands with him? Does Jordan know you're cheating on him?"

Kris smacked Rekia's arm.

"Don't be saying that! You know our families are just tight. Me and him are just family friends."

"I don't know, girl. Looks kinda cozy to me. Y'all walked in here like some power couple—"

"Rekia. For real. Don't say stuff like that. People will start believing that mess."

Erik waved for her to come on and Kris left Rekia's side.

"All done?"

"Yeah," he said.

They walked out together and muddled past customers going in.

"Shit," Erik said.

They stood near his truck. A pair of ripped up black boxer briefs were strung over the left rear mirror and the driver's side door was keyed up with the word "hoe" in big letters.

Erik glanced around the parking lot.

"Should we go look at the security camera feed?" she asked.

"Nah. I know who did this."

He ran his fingers across the scratched-up paint.

"Fuck," he muttered.

Erik snatched the underwear off of the mirror and quickly tossed it in the bed of the truck. He unlocked the vehicle and Kris moved around to the passenger side. Buckling up, she watched Erik pull out his cell and swipe an angry finger across it.

"There was no need for you to fuck with my car," he said into the phone.

The bass he threw into his voice startled Kris.

"It don't matter what I did…bitch you pulled a gun on me…"

Kris stared straight ahead pretending to be fascinated by the TLS sign lit up with blinking lights.

"You're paying for this shit. Your ass will be on the security footage. Be mad…no, I don't have a reason or an excuse. I'm no good though…I'm no good though…ain't shit nigga, right? That's what you said. Childish, Arletta. It don't change nothing…whatever…"

He tapped his phone and tossed it in the middle glove compartment.

"She pulled a gun on you?"

"Mine."

Erik gripped the steering wheel.

"I'm assuming those were your drawers hanging on the mirror. They were cut up, so you fucked someone you shouldn't have and Arletta feels a way about your hoe-ish behavior."

"A regular Sherlock."

"What happened?"

"You already said what happened—"

"Details."

"I finally had the opportunity to hook up with her and I did it with someone else."

"How did she find out? Wait…I thought you two had an open relationship or something—"

"I went to her house and she fell asleep on me when we were about to get down. She had a new roommate there—"

Kris reached over and popped him upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You are so dumb. Insensitive. Just nasty, Erik."

"I didn't even finish telling you what happened."

"You don't have to. You slept with the roommate. Such a messy hoe."

Kris glanced over at his face. Erik stared at his hands on top of the steering wheel.

"She caught you in the middle of the act?"

"After. I was leaving the bedroom and she busted me. She went and got my gun and threatened me with it. I took it from her and she told me to leave."

"I would've beaten your ass."

"She hit me a few times."

"All because she fell asleep?"

A real look of remorse fell across his face.

"I don't even know why I did it. She's moving to Atlanta anyway. I could've waited until she was gone and hit up Claudia later."

"Claudia, huh? The other hoe. Was she worth the trouble?"

Kris folded her arms across her chest feeling the indignity on Arletta's behalf.

"No. I got my mojo back, but only because I was…"

Erik's voice faded away.

"Because what?"

"Your oils and spray turned the tide I guess."

His eyes took in her face and Kris felt vulnerable energy wafting off of him.

"I don't want to talk about anymore," he said.

He started up his truck and drove them back to the Roux.


	19. Where It All Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris puts some things on Erik's mind...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving along. The North Carolina trip will probably have to be covered in two chapters because there's a lot I need to get them through before they come back to Texas!

"If you say what you mean, and mean what you say  
If the person you are and who you portray  
If you're living your life without looking in  
That's where it all begins

Keeping up with the Joneses ... ain't gonna never get you anywhere  
Same job, same car, is that who you really are?  
Deep inside you know in your heart, everybody is a star  
We all want a love bizarre  
As we travel along this road of ours  
You already know, yeah  
The way you must go, you can go your own way  
The moment is now, open your eyes"

Lalah Hathaway – "Where It All Begins"

Kris sat next to him as soft soulful croonings of Lalah Hathaway filled the cab with rich vocals full of meaning. Erik actually listened to the lyrics and felt like someone was trying to tell him something.

He carried a bit of embarrassment in his chest and he could feel it trickling down into his stomach as he listened to Kris sing along with the music. Her voice kept in harmony with Lalah and she glanced over at him as they stopped behind a car in some freeway traffic. Erik wanted to call Arletta and apologize even though he knew she wouldn't accept it. She had been a great fuck buddy and accepted the fact that they would never be anything but that. He went there to get his sex life back and was willing to jump in bed with a stranger to do so.

As of that moment, he was free of women. He wasn't talking to Vanessa anymore and he sure as hell wasn't going to get forgiveness cookies from Arletta. There were a couple of women in his old rotation that he could always go to, but he was bored with them.

Erik Stevens was officially woman-free.

His dick worked again but he needed to find a better partner to get with. Claudia had been a terrible lay. Beautiful body, nice face, and a confidence that he liked in women…she had the basics down for him, but that godawful eye-rolling she had going on turned him off so much. It was so unattractive. Hideous even. People made weird faces during sex and he knew he could give a crazy-looking cum face when he ejaculated. Mainly having his eyelids squeezed tight with his bottom lip poked out or housed between his teeth.

Vanessa used to take cell phone videos of him rutting into her in the missionary position so she could masturbate to it later when he was gone from her bed. She showed him a couple of their trysts and he watched himself while he orgasmed. His face tended to look real mean as he stared down at whoever he was fucking. Then his lips would get tight and move forward like he was about to cuss out everyone before they would part slightly. He didn't realize how vocal he was during sex. He talked mad shit to his partners, commanding them to do things to heighten his pleasure and they would do it eagerly until he would shout that he was cumming and groan so loud and hard into their ear.

Arletta had recorded them on her phone once when he was hitting it from the back and he saw his eyes roll back in his head. But they stayed shut. Unlike Claudia. Her eyes never shut. Erik loved when women looked at him while he was putting in work, but not just the whites of their eyes looking all possessed. A vibe killer.

Erik rubbed the spot on his head where Kris had popped him.

"Did I hit you too hard?" she teased.

He shifted his foot on the gas as the traffic let him inch forward before stopping again. They were near an overpass and there was a minor fender bender ahead of them on the left side of the highway. He put the truck in neutral realizing they were going to be there for a little bit. Erik kept rubbing the right side of his head and Kris ran a warm hand across the area and rubbed it for him.

"Poor baby," she murmured.

He didn't mean to close his eyes when she rubbed on his scalp, but her soft hand spread over the stinging hurt and made the pain subside. He leaned into her touch and she stopped her fingers from moving. Her hand sat still on his head while Lalah kept singing. Opening his eyes, he looked down into hers. Her lips were parted and he could smell the scent of that oil he liked on her skin. Coffee, and vanilla, and spices from exotic lands…

There was something about her that was drawing him in. Every woman in his life that had any sexual connection to him had fallen away like fleas on a dog getting a much-needed bath. Did his Nana make her put a root on him to strip away the riff-raff?

Erik moved his face closer to hers and she pulled back releasing her hand from his head.

"Are you trying to kiss me?" she said.

The words hit his ears and Erik faced the steering wheel again watching the unmoving traffic ahead of him once more.

"I have a boyfriend. I'm a faithful woman, Erik. Even if I didn't have a boyfriend, I wouldn't kiss you after you dogged out some other woman. You have 'hoe" scratched on your car and your underwear is sliding around in the back of your truck."

She started laughing at him. The cackles grew high-pitched.

"I wasn't trying to kiss you," he grumbled.

"Yes, you were."

Kris kept laughing and Erik's jaw grew tight.

"You are unbelievable," she said glancing out of the side window.

"You think Jordan is going to be faithful to you while he's out in L.A.?"

Kris cut her eyes at him and he gave her a smug look. The dig knocked the humor from her face.

"My man loves me. He's always been faithful."

"Long time for a man to be gone from his woman—"

"See, that's the difference between Jordan and you. Maturity and having some self-respect. A grown-ass man can deal with not having sex while he is handling his business to build something with his partner."

"Y'all plan on getting married?"

"One day."

"Has he proposed to you?"

"Not yet."

"Seven years?"

"Don't try and make my love life look bad just because you got caught being a dirty bastard."

"I'm just saying seven years is a long time to be with someone and they haven't even proposed yet. People can have long engagements while they build together."

"Shut up."

She crossed her arms over her chest and Erik waved a victory flag inside of his head. He shut her smart mouth up—

"Men like you are the reason why Black women get called crazy all the time. You treat us like shit and then try to gaslight us when we call you out on your bad behavior—"

"Here we go—"

"See? Already being dismissive because you can't handle hearing the truth about your trash ways. You think that fuckboy behavior is cute or makes you seem like some stud, but it actually makes you look like a weak link simp. You'll never have a serious relationship with a woman when you act like a little boy all the time."

"Trust me, your nigga ain't perfect. I've seen how he acted at TLS when you weren't around. He got some dog in him too. I bet if you popped up on his ass in L.A. unannounced you would find something you didn't want to know about his ass."

The traffic began to move. Erik shifted gears and drove them along. The music shifted to lights out jazz and when Erik took a quick look at Kris as he exited off of the freeway, he saw her face was turned to the side and her cheek was shiny.

At a stoplight, he tapped her shoulder. She pushed his hand away and he saw she was crying.

"Kris? Hey…"

Erik pulled the truck over to the side and let it idle. Popping on the overhead light he stared at her.

"Just keep driving," she snapped at him turning her face toward the passenger window more.

"Why are you crying like this? Hit dogs hollering now?"

She lifted her face from the window and wiped her eyes with her left hand.

"Everyone always has something mean and spiteful to say about Jordan. I have to hear it from my parents, my grandmother, and you just sit there taking stabs at him too. He's trying so hard to be this good productive person during a rough time in our lives and you think it's cool to just take a shit on him. You don't know him! You don't know what he's been through in his life just to make it this far. You've been spoiled your whole entire life, Erik. A big family that bends over backward for you. Money. A bar that you own and can come into work when you feel like it. You have a house on acres of land that your family owns. You were born with everything handed to you and Jordan has worked his way up from nothing. Even Brandy makes fun of me saying I'm stuck in some struggle love—"

"Kris…"

"I'm going through something difficult and I'm alone when it comes to any support for me and Jordan. I worry about the stress on him…I worry that he'll slip up again—"

Kris pressed her hands against her face and bawled.

Erik felt like the biggest turd sitting there.

"Aye…girl…I didn't mean to—"

"Mean to what? Gaslight me further? Make fun of me? Make me feel even more insecure about my life right now? Just shut up your stupid selfish hoe ass face!"

She hauled back and slapped the shit out of Erik with her right hand. The slap echoed in the truck and Erik froze from the shock of the veracity coming from a soft hand that once comforted his scalp.

He sat there and took it.

He felt Arletta in that slap. Vanessa. Brandy. Every woman he belittled when they got under his skin came through on that strike.

Kris jumped out of the truck and stalked away from him. Erik turned off the vehicle and ran after her.

"Hold up…Kris…"

"Go away!"

Erik caught up to her and grabbed her hand. She jerked it away from him. They were on a corner near a strip mall and traffic flew past them. He could see her glossy eyes were still shedding tears by the light of the corner street lamp and the businesses around them. Kris posted up against the lamppost and wept.

"Kris, I take it back. I'm sorry for what I said. I was trying to shut you up because I was a dick and was mad at what you said—"

"I don't have anyone out here that supports me. I have some old relatives and my granny and no other kin out here is my age who can relate to me. I can't talk to anyone about anything because all they do is criticize who I'm with or try to tell me what I should be doing without a good job and all this education. I wanted to go with him…I didn't even care if I had to sleep on a janky couch. At least I'd be with him and not by myself. I don't have any close friends here—"

"You have Rekia."

"One person who I'm getting to know."

"One friend is a good start."

"At least she doesn't say nasty things or crack jokes about Jordan."

She balled up her right hand and held it against her face and Erik thought he was going to die seeing all that hurt he put there because she laughed at him. Told him the truth about himself.

She was right.

He did have everything. Money. Family. Choices. Comfort.

His only problem was treating women as expendable accessories, and any problems he had with keeping one he liked was squarely on his shoulders.

Kris stood huddled on the street corner like some wounded fairy. Erik felt like he had ripped the wings off of his Tinker Bell and thrown them in the ditch to put her in her place.

Stepping toward her he held out his arms and placed them around her.

"I'm sorry. You won't be alone Kris. I'll be your friend. You'll have two now in Mariscal until you leave here."

She grew limp in his arms but he pulled her in tight and rocked her in front of the lamppost. Her wet face sat against the top of his chest, just under his neck.

"You ain't alone, girl. I'm here for you. I'll show you the best time in North Carolina and you'll make more friends. Sorry for being a dick."

"Asshole," she corrected.

"A dick and an asshole."

When she stopped shaking, he pulled back from her.

"C'mon, let's get back to the Roux. I'll make you a hot toddy and you can tell me all about Jordan and your plans for California. I never got to know him while he was here, so you can convince me why you love him so much."

"I don't have to convince you of anything," she said wiping her eyes again.

"Okay, well let me convince you as to why I would make an excellent friend."

"Have you ever in your life had female friends?"

Erik stared off to the left of her face and thought about it.

"Selena is my homegirl—"

"Selena is your cousin. Doesn't count."

There was a sly smirk on her face. She looked a lot better.

"In high school I did. Had a couple at Howard—"

"Were they friends and then you slept with them at Howard? Guys will be friends to get in the panties you know. Were there any women you were friends with that you never slept with?"

"Two."

"And why was that?"

"Whatchu mean? We were just friends—"

"Let me be blunt. Were they attractive?"

"Let's go get these hot toddies—"

"See! You were only friends because they weren't attractive to you."

"I just think it's hard for men to be friends with women sometimes—"

"I think that's bullshit, but what makes you think there's a possibility of you being my friend based on your logic?"

"I can try."

"Out of pure guilt."

"I can be your friend. Watch me."

He held out his hand to her. She shook it.

"Let's go before someone calls the cops thinking we out here having a domestic dispute."

She followed him back to the truck and by the time they were minutes away from Caddo Ranch, there was a smile on her face and all those pitiful tears had dried up.

###

Erik found out that Kris could hold some liquor.

She couldn't handle strong weed, but her body could drink to beat the best.

He whipped up their hot toddies in his kitchen using his best ten-year-old whiskey that he kept for special occasions. Mixing in hot water with his favorite amount of dark honey and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, he popped in half lemon slices and cinnamon sticks before handing Kris a four-ounce cider mug. She sipped and her eyes shut in appreciation.

"Strong," she said.

They both drank two in his living room before they moved on to drinking straight bourbon. Erik felt his eyes beginning to float, but Kris was still hanging with him. She admired a picture of him on his wall, one of the few self-portraits he had up that showed a three-year-old Erik trying to lasso his rocking horse. Wearing a cowboy hat with his signature shorts and boots look from his toddler years, she commented on how focused his face was.

"Such a serious little cowboy," she said.

He watched her walk around the room a bit checking out other pictures of his family. He told her who most of them were along with little stories about what was happening that particular day when the picture was taken. She soaked up everything he said like a sponge, especially any historical tidbits he mentioned.

"This is a great one," she said pointing to a photo of him lassoing a steer near the front door.

"That was in Houston. Came in second place," he said with a little pride in his voice.

"How old were you?"

"Sixteen."

"You still compete?"

"Sometimes."

"Why sometimes?"

"It's rough running a business and looking after my grandparents too. Too much traveling to do all that more often. Caddo should do it though, he's the best out of all of us."

"I hear you're pretty good too. Saw you online."

"Checking me out?"

"Granny May showed me all your talents and virtues before we ate brunch."

She sat back on the couch and drank a bit more.

"Out of all your cousins, you're the only one who lives here full time. Why?"

"I like it here. I like being available to my grandparents. My folks are busy with demanding careers and my cousins have lives outside of the ranch unlike me."

"You have TLS."

"I have Blue running it for me though. We used to work there for Pop Pop during our university breaks and when I took it over, I put Blue in charge so I could be here most days. They're getting older and I want someone here from the family around them. We have caretakers around and plenty of ranch hands, but I want to be here to keep an eye on people and things."

"Admirable."

"It suits me."

"You ever bring your girlfriends here?"

"Nah. I go to their place or I take them to the property."

"The property?"

"Our family owns a couple of highrise condo buildings that we lease. My mother manages our real estate holdings and an office building on the west side. There's an open condo unit that Monroe lives in that I have access to."

"You've never brought one woman here for overnight hanky panky."

"No."

"Why?"

"I'm not bringing them all the way out here to…mess around—"

"Why not? You're grown."

"I feel like if I bring a woman out here, then she's getting close to the family, and the only woman who's getting that close is the one I intend to marry."

"You want a wife one day?"

"Gotta carry on that bloodline, girl. Make some new ranch hands."

"You want to get married just for that?"

"It's part of it. I mean…I want to be in love and all that shit—"

"All that shit?" she said with a sly smile on her face.

"Yeah."

"How many kids do you want?"

"Maybe two or three. You? How many do you want with Jordan?"

Those damn coquettish eyes sparkled again with Jordan's name in her ears.

"I want one that I can spoil. A big fat round baby that I can barely pick up. Big ole round watermelon body."

"Just one?"

"I don't need a tribe."

"If you and Jordan get married—"

"When we get married."

"When you and Jordan get married, how soon do you want that chunky baby?"

"Not for a couple of years. I want to save up for it."

Her eyes darted away from his when he stared at her in silence for a moment.

"What does your Dad do?" she said walking toward the tiny alcove next to the front door.

"He's on the city council."

"Wow."

"Nana made sure to spread the family outside of the ranch. It's one thing to have land, but you have to have your own people in places to keep things going your way. A lot of other ranchers didn't do this, so that's why they struggle. All their eggs in one basket."

Erik finished off his bourbon and placed the glass on the coffee table.

"What does Jordan want to do in California?"

Kris's eyes lit up at the mention of his name again and Erik could see all the pride there that she had for him.

"He wants to work in politics, so he's looking for government jobs."

"Why not stay in D.C.? He was already at the hub."

"Better opportunities out west with so many exciting up-and-coming politicians."

"Does he want to run for anything one day?"

"No, he wants to be the hidden hand. He's really good at strategy and running campaigns and offices. He just consulted on one in Florida and the guy won. That made him feel really good. We're optimistic about him finding something that he can build a career around."

"So he'll run with the political crowd and you'll write?"

"Yeah. That's the dream. I'm going to write about the trail ride. I went online last night and tried to find some publications that might be interested in a story about the event and my experience being at one for the first time. What?"

Her eyes danced across his face as she stared at him.

"Nothing."

"You're looking at me weird."

"Stop being self-conscious. I just like how excited you get talking about stuff you like. Writing seems to be your passion."

"What's yours?"

"Keeping this place going. Finding ways to get other ranchers to revitalize the lands they've fucked up over the years by overgrazing and being so focused on making money without proper land stewardship."

"That sounds weird to hear a cattle rancher say that about other ranchers."

"We aren't like other ranchers with vast amounts of land to ruin on purpose. They act like they can run their places like it was over a hundred years ago. Those days are over."

Erik rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm working with Monroe on helping Black farmers in the south to keep their land. There's been a lot of eminent domain land grabs by the government. Biandro's Dad works for the Department of Agriculture and we have a cousin on my Mom's side that works for the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada, so we try to keep on top of shit like that."

"Your family really does try to have a hand in everything."

"Nana doesn't play. Raised her sons up to look after our people."

"Daughters-in-law too?"

"Shit…you gotta pass muster to get with a Stevens man, especially back in the day."

"Your Mom must be something else."

"She is. That's her right there. With my Dad."

Erik pointed to a family portrait on the wall behind the couch.

"That's Portia Stevens and Etienne Stevens, my parents. That's my sister Chantel and her husband Gordon."

"Your Mom is tall. And all that hair! How long has she been growing locs?"

"She's had them all my life."

A knock at the door broke Erik out of the pleasant time he was having with Kris just talking.

"It's late," she said standing up.

It was already eleven at night.

Biandro stood at his door.

"Just finished patrols. We might be in the clear," Biandro said.

Erik gave his cousin some dap.

"Hey, Kris. I didn't know you were over here," Biandro said.

"I'm about to head over to the guest house," she said.

Erik watched her grab her purse.

"I can give you a ride over," Biandro said.

"It's okay, I want to walk," she said.

"Let's water up the trailers tomorrow and get gear logged," Biandro suggested.

"Cool," Erik said.

They followed Biandro out away from the house. His cousin drove off in the white patrol truck to go stay in the big house. Selena and Asha were there too. Monroe and Caddo would be rolling in the next day as well. Erik couldn't wait to hit the road. He was ready to cut loose.

"Man, without light pollution, you can see galaxies out here," Kris said looking up into the sky.

They meandered their way to the guest house and she stuck close to him in the darkness that was peppered with starlight.

"Are those patrols for the-?"

"Yeah."

Erik pulled out his cell phone to light the way for her. He knew the way like the back of his hand in the dark, but she was having some difficulty seeing while being slightly inebriated.

"Lemme show you something," he said.

They stopped walking and he swiped his phone for a file.

"Check this out," he said.

"Oh my God!"

Her hand flew to her face and she stared at him for ten seconds before looking at his phone again.

"We have motion sensor night cameras all over and we caught this a few weeks back. I forgot to show it to you."

Her mouth stayed gaping as she studied the photo of the mountain lion that came after them.

"It's scary, but it's so beautiful too," she whispered.

"It hasn't attacked anything and we haven't seen it since this captured footage."

"Would you have killed it had you saw it on patrol?"

"Yeah. At this point, we'd have to. It had a taste of meat and it came after you."

"You too."

"But it spotted you first."

"Can you send me a copy of that?"

"Yep."

They walked on and she told him more about Jordan and her dreams to make a difference in the world. She was delightfully hopeful about the future and it made him think about his life plans a little more. Erik tried to imagine himself with a wife and a fat roly poly baby that he would drive around the ranch with. He would teach his kids how to ride a horse or track a predator with the bend in a blade of grass or the break of a twig. Erik had never really looked that far ahead. He was focused more on making sure his grandparents were comfortable and that all of their operations ran smooth. His own personal life seemed a little empty outside of chasing women when the mood struck.

He glanced over at Kris's face. She was still talking and clutching her purse and outlining all the steps that she had ready for her life with Jordan. She had a dream with someone. He had no one. Not the way she did.

"Here we are," she said.

They stood in front of the guest house. He held up his cell phone to her purse so she could fish out the keys his grandmother gave her to get inside.

"I wish Rekia was coming with us so I'd have someone I know with me besides Miss Rae and Granny May."

"I told you that you have me too," he said.

She took a few steps onto the porch.

"You okay?" he said.

"Just a little tipsy, but I'm good. Those hot toddies hit the spot. The straight bourbon too. You give good liquor, man."

He watched her fumble with the keys until she opened the front door.

"I'd invite you in for a nightcap, but we already had one," she said staring back at him.

"We'll have plenty in North Cack. Trust," he said.

She leaned up against the door jamb, her eyes seductive in the starlight.

"It was good talking to you, Erik. You're actually okay when you aren't being a horn dog."

"Thank ya kindly," he said giving her a bow.

"You stay this nice and I'll invite you to my wedding one day."

"Gotta get engaged first girl," he teased.

"Shut up."

"Night, Kris."

"Night."

He waited for her to go inside and when she did, he stood there watching her turn on the lights through the big glass windows. Confident that she was secure, Erik walked the long way back to his house.

Kris put some things on his mind and in his heart. He needed time outside in the fresh night air to ponder his future.


	20. Before I Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> North Cackalacky!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the fun times begin!

"You made me happy  
This you can bet  
You stood right beside me, yeah  
And I won't forget  
And I really love you  
You should know  
I wanna make sure I'm right, girl  
Before I let go"

Frankie Beverly and Maze – "Before I Let Go"

Kris stood before Portia Stevens and gave her a big friendly smile as the giant of a woman peered down at her. Thick Medusa-like locs curled into heavy tendrils and cascaded over her shoulders and hung down to her waist. Her oval face was youthful and her body was strong and athletic. Silver and turquoise bracelets covered both of her arms and she wore form-hugging white jeans and a tight white t-shirt. She was Erik's toasty brown color and had the dark brown eyes of a Goddess staring deep into Kris's soul.

"How is your Mama and them?" Portia asked.

"Good."

"I wish they could be out here with us. Haven't seen them in years…Erik why are you making him wear his boots?"

Erik walked Big Man to his trailer and Kris glanced down to the horse's thick protective travel boots wrapped around each leg.

"Caravans means lots of stopping and I don't want no problems on the road," Erik said.

"It's only seventeen hours, boy," Portia said.

"They are all wearing travel boots," Erik said ignoring her.

Etienne Stevens, Erik's father, stroked Big Man's flank.

"Think Lil Man will grow up like this?" Etienne said.

Kris found it strange to see a man who had Erik's face. Out of all the sons she had met from Miss Rae, Etienne looked most like her and passed those genes to Erik. She imagined that Erik would look like that one day, gray streaks in his hair, and just a little thicker in the waist and face.

"Mimi was a big muscular girl, so Lil Man is guaranteed to be on point," Erik said.

There was so much going on around the ranch that it was dizzying. The family moved like a precise clock gathering supplies and stocking up the three trailers they were taking along with the five other minivans and SUVS carrying their Mariscal friends who were going with them too.

Kris looked around once more at Erik's Aunts and Uncles. Each father had imprinted their face onto their sons. Caddo, Biandro, and Monroe also favored their Dads completely and Kris wondered if women were brought in just to make carbon copies of Miss Rae's boys. All the Stevens women were formidable in their own right. Erik was correct in saying his grandmother's standards were high for her sons and they all came out winning with the wives they chose.

There was an ease of interactions within the family and Kris didn't feel the stress like she would in her own family if they were going on a big trip. She watched her grandmother huddle with Miss Rae as they cackled over some funny story. It seemed as if Granny May spent more time with Miss Rae's family than her own. Probably because their family tended to be heavily religious on the judgmental side and frowned on boozing and smoking and playing cards, all the things the Stevens clan planned on doing and more once they reached North Carolina.

"Don't let them drive you crazy," Portia said as she saw Kris taking in all the preparations to leave.

"I won't," Kris said heading over to her grandmother.

Erik's sister Chantel helped her husband Gordon load the last of the firewood they were taking in their minivan. Chantel was the only one of the Steven's family that didn't warm up to Kris right away. She was as tall as her mother and just as gorgeous. She was pleasant to Kris, but it felt like she was holding back open arms like she was waiting to see what would happen along the way.

"Let's load up!" Mr. Stevens yelled out. He insisted that she call him Pop Pop that day forward.

Kris helped her grandmother load her box of homemade oils and Florida water she cooked up days before. There was also her plastic knitting container and folding chair along with her clothing bag. Kris was set to climb into Miss Rae's truck, but Erik's grandmother insisted that she ride with Erik and his cousins so the grown folks could have their time.

"I'm almost twenty-six," Kris whined.

"A baby. Get out of here," Miss Rae said.

Erik's truck/trailer had room and looked like the rowdy bunch and she wasn't sure if she could deal with seventeen hours of obnoxious testosterone. She watched Erik close the back of his trailer after he loaded the last horse onto it. The family brought twelve horses with them for the trail ride. All twelve of the equines were spread out among the three large trailers and two smaller horse trailers.

Erik wiped his hands and stretched his back.

"Ride with us," he said.

"I guess I have to," she said as she watched people climb into trucks and trailers. She grabbed her duffle bag and purse and loaded them into Erik's trailer.

Erik's father drove the truck/trailer that carried Miss Rae, Pop Pop, Asha, and Granny May. Etienne moved it to the front to lead the caravan. Selena drove the second truck/trailer with other family members. Erik's trailer was going to bring up the rear.

A surge of excitement ran through Kris as she climbed into the back of the cab of Erik's truck. She snickered under her breath when she saw the electrical tape he had over his driver's side door covering his hoe life.

Sitting behind Erik in the truck, she scooted over to give Caddo room to climb in. She found herself sitting between Caddo and Biandro. Erik cranked up his music and Monroe frowned.

"You ain't tired of that shit?" Monroe asked.

"I like Kirby," Erik said nodding his head to the hip hop beats.

"He's played out, man," Caddo said.

"Says who?"

"I'm tired of it," Kris said.

"He's local, we're supposed to support our hometown rappers," Erik implored.

"That fool is corny," Biandro quipped.

Erik switched to satellite radio and rolled his eyes at everyone as the truck became filled with urban contemporary that pleased the majority.

They followed the line of vehicles out of the ranch and before they left the main gate of the property, Erik gave final instructions to an older male relative who was staying behind to look after things.

Kris stayed quiet as she listened to the guys chatter away and rib one another. They were amusing, relentless in their teasing of each other, and acted more like brothers than cousins. Listening to them interact made the first three hours fly by fast. All the big trailers pulled over at the same time to switch drivers, and Erik switched spots with Biandro.

"Doing alright?" Erik asked when his arm bumped into hers as he climbed into the back.

"I'm good."

She stayed awake for several more hours until it got to be eight at night and she dozed off. When they pulled into a gas station for another bathroom break, she woke up lying against Erik's shoulder. Wiping her mouth, she stepped out of the truck and went to the restroom.

Stretching her legs, she checked in with her grandmother and Miss Rae before they took off again. She was in a dead sleep when they rolled into the campground in Shelby, North Carolina. Between bathroom breaks, traffic, and food stops, it took them twenty hours to reach their destination. Kris loved the blue of the sky at four in the morning as they rolled past trucks, trailers, SUVs, minivans, motorcycles, horses, camping tents of all sizes, and tall country trees. Hundreds of people were already set up for the event a full day before it was to start. The parking was well-organized in sections. Erik told her at least a thousand people would be there. She couldn't believe how big a trail ride weekend was. Shelby only had about twenty-thousand people who lived there, so it was a big deal to have that many people coming there far and wide to ride horses and camp out together.

Feeling full of energy, Kris stepped out of the truck and watched the last of the fading stars disappear in the early morning sky. Fellow campers who were up greeted them all with soft "Good Mornings," and polite waves of welcome. Everyone kept their voices soft to not wake slumbering campers near them. The rest of the caravan left them behind. Erik saw her watching the other trucks leave the area to go park somewhere else,

"They're not keeping the trucks and vans here?" she asked.

"They're going to set up closer to their usual spot. We stay back here because we tend to get rowdier than the other folks," Erik said.

The cousins set to work taking the horses out of their trailer stalls so they could relieve themselves and Kris had never seen so much urine and horse excrement pour out. She was thankful the country air made the smell of horses bearable. By the time all the equines were hitched outside of the trailer, her nose grew horse odor blind.

Erik opened the trailer door.

"I should've gone with them," Kris said as she eyed her bags on the floor near the dining table.

"You can sleep over here with us for now," Caddo said.

Kris grew a little nervous at the thought until she saw the men create sleeping areas with the furniture inside.

"Take my bed," Erik said.

He showed her the steps that led to a cozy queen bed.

"I don't want to mess up your situation," she said.

"There's a ton of sleeping space," Monroe said as he flopped down on the couch sleeper.

Biandro pulled down a Murphy bed styled hidden sleeper that popped down from what looked like a small closet door. Each man had a place to sleep comfortably outside of the queen bed Erik offered her. Kris glanced back at Erik's bed. Cool blue sheets. Fluffy pillows. She was tired and wanted to stretch out.

Erik grabbed her bags and brought them up into the space. They were hidden away from his cousins.

"You can open this window to let more air in. If you get chilly, which I doubt, you can pull blankets from the drawer under this mattress box," he said showing her soft blue covers.

"I can sleep out there," she said.

"They snore and fart. Safer up here," he said.

The sky grew lighter outside and Erik's face looked so sweet to her. She wondered if it always looked like this so early in the morning.

"You can sleep in. Not much happens today other than people arriving and setting up for the riding tomorrow. The rodeo games happen on Saturday, and Sunday they have fun activities and games. Lots of dancing and partying every night. Lots to do…"

Kris started yawning as he spoke. Sleep was hitting her.

"Bathroom is all the way in the back of the trailer. You can shower and use any towels back there later," he said.

"Thanks."

"There are plugs on either side of the walls up here so you can charge your phone if you need to."

"It's pretty sweet up here," she said.

"My other home," he said.

Kris reached for her phone in her purse and pulled out her charger too.

"Are you sure it's cool to be here?"

"Yes."

Erik slid open another compartment in his trailer bedroom and pulled out stacks of sheets and some smaller pillows.

"See ya," he said.

Erik closed a little curtain separator and Kris heard the men unwind. By the time she had her shoes kicked off and she was sprawled on top of his bed comfortably, she could hear deep snores from below. She texted her grandmother that she would come to find her in a few hours and soon Kris drifted into country fresh bliss.

###

The odor of bacon.

Grease popping.

Frankie Beverly hitting a long note with Maze singing "Before I Let Go".

Laughter.

The sound of…dominoes?

Kris sat up and checked her cell phone. It was almost noon.

Dragging herself off of Erik's bed, she stepped down into the main interior and saw Erik at a stove pouring bacon grease into a small empty pork and beans can as his cousins sat around the dining table slapping domino pieces down while listening to music. They were all showered and dressed already.

Erik nodded his head at her as he washed out a frying pan.

"Hungry?" he asked.

She nodded and he handed her a paper plate filled with bacon, buttered toast, and hashbrowns.

"There's ketchup and jelly on the counter if you want some. I can make you some eggs—"

"This is good thank you," she said.

She went and sat on the living room area couch that was across from the dining table. The makeshift beds that had been used hours before were put away. Erik sat next to Biandro and Monroe shuffled the dominoes for a new game. They all seemed very relaxed after such a long drive.

Erik stuffed bacon into his mouth and glanced at Kris.

"Your grandmother was over here looking for you. She wanted to introduce you to her knitting club—"

"The coven," Caddo said.

Erik rolled his eyes at Caddo.

"The coven?" she asked.

Erik looked back at her.

"He's just messing with you. It's a group of older women who knit together and are friends with Nana and Miss May."

Monroe gave Caddo an odd smile.

"What?" Kris said.

She stopped eating and watched the men carefully. Erik grinned and glanced down at his hand.

"It's just a nickname we gave them because they all do what you do," Erik said.

"The Hoodoo Hens," Biandro said slamming down a starter domino.

Kris rolled her eyes and finished her breakfast.

"Where do I put this?" she asked when she was done eating.

Erik pointed to the small trash receptacle by the sink. She strolled over and threw away the empty paper plate and a plastic fork. She walked back to Erik's room and gathered her toiletries and clean clothes along with a thin towel.

"Back here?" she said walking past the men.

Erik nodded.

Kris found the bathroom and was impressed at how much space she had to move around. She cleaned up fast not wanting to use up their water. It was already humid, so she gave up on her hair and just pulled it up into a curly puff with a thick black band. She slathered her face, arms, and legs with sunblock and decided to wear sneakers to walk around in instead of sandals. Tinted red lip balm was all she wore for make-up and she popped in some small silver hoop earrings. She heard Big Man and Sunshine whiny outside along with the gentle snorts of Biandro's horse. Gathering her belongings, she headed back to Erik's room.

A knock on the trailer door stopped her.

The guys were deep into their game, so she opened the door.

A little boy with soft nutmeg brown skin wearing glasses and a big grin on his face looked up at her. He wore an orange t-shirt that said "Shelby Country Strutters" across the front with green basketball shorts and sneakers. Behind him was a stunning woman with such deep umber skin that Kris felt her breath get caught in her throat. The woman smiled and her teeth were so white and perfect that it was hard for Kris to not stare at her. She had an upturned nose and playful dark eyes. Captivating. That's what she was.

"Hi. Is Biandro here?" the woman said.

The woman tugged on the rubber band holding her relaxed black hair in a pigtail that fell to the back of her neck. Just that movement alone made the woman seem so graceful to Kris.

"Yeah…Biandro," Kris said.

"Daddy!" the boy said pushing past Kris and running into the trailer.

Biandro's face became sunshine and rainbows as he jumped up from his seat and grabbed the boy. He smothered him with kisses.

"Ramon!" Caddo shouted.

The boy looked around as he pushed his glasses higher on his nose. Kris stood back and allowed the woman to enter the trailer.

"Monette," she said.

"Kris."

"Nice to meet, you. I'm Ramon's, Mom."

Erik and Monroe stood up to give Monette a hug and Caddo waited his turn. Biandro held his son in his arms and gazed at Monette with such longing that Kris felt cool air rushing above her head. She touched her right temple and closed her eyes.

"You okay?" Erik asked.

"Yeah. Excuse me for a minute," she said walking up the steps to his bedroom with her things. She sat on the edge of the bed and took deep breaths.

Erik stood on the top step watching her.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. It must be the heat out here getting to me. It's a little more humid than Texas and that dry heat."

She glanced his way.

"I'm fine," she said.

"I'll bring you some water."

"It's okay—"

He was gone.

A moment later he was handing her cold bottled water. She rested it against her temple and then her forehead.

"Thanks."

Opening it up, she took some sips.

"That's better," she said.

"We're going to walk around and check things out when we finish this game. Want to come? Or do you want to rest some more and get used to this weather?"

"I'll come along."

"Okay."

He left her alone and she could hear Monette and Ramon talking to everyone. The sound of dominoes being slammed again commenced and Kris tucked her cell phone into her back pocket and left the bedroom. Ramon sat on Biandro's lap as he played and he allowed his son to place his domino choices onto the table. Monette sat across from them watching. Cool air swarmed above Kris's head still, but she was able to control her reaction to the sensation.

Pink.

That was the faint color that Kris was seeing around Monette. Her aura was strong.

She saw it around Biandro too and the color pulsed with energy that startled Kris with the vibrations she picked up between the two of them. Kris's intuitive side took over and she tried not to space out in front of everyone as she read the waves of vibrant passion she was feeling. It confused her. Monette was in tune with Biandro. Kris could almost reach out and touch their deep connection with her fingers.

The domino game ended and Biandro stood up as he held his son's hand and Kris could see the shimmer of color from Biandro and Monette bending toward one another. Kris knew Biandro was head over heels for Monette, but she knew the woman felt the same way about him. So why was she engaged to someone else? She moved a little closer to the woman and instantly felt ambivalence shadowing the love that was there for Biandro.

"Let's bounce," Caddo said.

Erik grabbed the trailer keys and his phone.

"If you need to get in here while no one is here, the keyless entry code on my lock is 196810," he told her.

They all went outside and waited a few minutes as Erik and Caddo led the horses back onto the back of the trailer to eat while they were gone.

"We'll ride later to exercise them," Erik said.

His eyes regarded hers with curiosity as she stared at Monette and Biandro.

"You keep looking at them," Erik said.

She shrugged and averted her eyes.

Their group wandered away from the trailer and Monette stopped when they reached a section that was filled with vendors and food trucks.

"I'll come by and say hello to everyone else a little later," she said.

Biandro nodded.

"I can get Ramon's stuff later then," Biandro said.

"Great. See y'all in a bit," she said walking away.

"C'mon! C'mon!" Ramon said dragging Biandro with him toward the vendors.

Kris tried to keep up with the guys, but their long legs had her double-timing to keep up.

"I'm glad she didn't bring ole boy with her to the trailer," Monroe whispered to Erik.

"Yep," Erik said.

The smell of rich foods stung Kris's nose and her mouth began to water.

Fried shrimp and spicy crawfish boils. Ribs and briskets melting like butter. Grilled chicken and fried turkeys. Dry rubs, sauces, marinades, hot links, and hot dogs. Overstuffed po'boys, and fried fish plates. Sweet potato pies and Seven-Up pound cakes. Red beans and rice and smothered chicken samplers. Banana and rice puddings. Beignets and lemon bars. Homemade ice cream and icees flavored like Caribbean treats.

There was so much food being sold and eaten around them.

Craft vendors also sold shirts, jewelry, cowboy hats, belts, bandannas, and all manner of trinkets. Kris felt like the further they walked, the larger the area became. So many people meandered around, rode horses, rode ATVs, laughed loud, listened to music on portable speakers, drank ice-cold beer openly, and caught up with one another like some grand homecoming. Kris heard Alabama accents, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida vernacular dancing in her ears. There were horse clubs and riders from as far away as Compton California and Oakland. Detroit even showed up.

"Oh, shit! The Mariscal Mustangs are in the house!"

A tall mountain of a man in a wide-brimmed cowboy hat stepped forward to give dap to the Stevens crew joined by several other men. Shouts of joy and claps on the back went around as Kris found herself standing to the side observing the male bonding and reunion of different riding clubs. All the men took the time to say hello to Ramon too.

"This one of your cousins?"

The mountain man's gold-rimmed teeth glinted as he smiled at her. The other men took notice of her too and Kris began to feel self-conscious.

"Pretty little thing. What's your name, Sweetheart? I'm Willie Clay of the Ebony Horseman riders," he said holding out his mammoth hand to her.

She shook his hand and felt his eyes regard her with open curiosity. A few of the men crowded around her with wolfish eyes. Erik stepped forward.

"This is Kris, Miss May's granddaughter," he said.

A couple of the men stepped back, and whatever salacious thoughts she may have read on their faces as they checked out her legs and chest vacated immediately.

"Nice to meet you all," she said.

"Glad to know Miss May is here with us again this year. I'll have to come around and say hello to her," Willie said.

His eyes were solid dark chestnut orbs that didn't shy away from getting a good gander at Kris. She felt like a tiny toddler standing around all those tall tree-sized men.

"Are you riding the trail?"

A green-eyed cutie with a small gap on his right-side tooth asked her. His light ruddy brown skin reminded her of Jordan.

"I am. First time," she said.

"Mmmhmm. Nice," he drawled out in a silky North Carolina tenor, "My name is Otis."

"Hey," she said feeling shy as his voice seduced a sudden girlishness in her.

"We're going to check things out," Erik said suddenly moving their group forward.

Willie and Otis and a few of the others stayed with them as they made the rounds. Otis kept his focus on her, and Kris found herself warming up to him. He knew a lot of people and Kris soon discovered that he was related to one of the people that helped put on the trail ride there every year. Walking with him for thirty minutes, Kris learned a lot about the weekend and a little history as she asked him questions. The other men gossiped and cracked jokes while their wandering eyes peeped every female that walked or rode a horse past them.

"Stop talking her ear off Otis. Come walk with me, Kris," Willie said reaching back and pulling her forward next to him.

"Sorry, Otis," she said glancing behind her.

Otis shrugged with a flirty smile and Kris caught Erik watching her. He wasn't smiling and barely paying attention to the man talking to him as they walked.

"I got some of that Rose of Sharon," Otis said.

"No shit?" Monroe said.

"Aw shit!" Caddo said pumping his fist.

"What's that?" Kris asked Willie.

Willie rubbed his glossy bearded cheek and grinned at her.

"You ever drink real moonshine before?"

"No," she said.

"Can you handle regular liquor?"

"Yeah."

"I'll let you get a sip this weekend," he said winking at her.

Otis slinked up to her again as they neared an enclosed dirt arena. Looking around, Kris hadn't noticed that they had moved away from the vendors and parked campers. There were so many pretty trees and around them. Lush green trees with wide canopies.

"This is where the barrel racing and stuff will be," Erik said.

He inserted himself between her and Otis. The other man simply walked to the other side of her. She glanced up at Erik and saw the side of his jaw clench as Otis talked to her about the events for Saturday. The man was irritating Erik and Kris cackled internally at Erik's not so subtle displays of annoyance.

They walked around the entire perimeter and stopped for a few minutes so Biandro could take a picture with his son in front of the Trail Ride banner.

"Watch out now," Otis said pulling her aside as some horses walked past them with some pretty cowgirls checking out the men as they rode past.

"Hey, Erik."

One of the women, a thick cutie with two twisted braids decorated with hair charms eyed Erik down as she rode past on her horse. Erik gave a head nod and leaned up against the wooden arena gate. The same woman fluttered her eyes back at Otis too.

"Otis," she said waving at him.

"Hey, Daniela," Otis said.

The women rode away and their group continued on until they curved back around toward the campers again. Kris heard the sound of her grandmother's voice and soon spotted Granny May and some other women setting up things under a huge canopy tent that had several camp chairs and a long covered folding table inside of it. The women placed knitting tools, yarn, and other sewing materials on the table. Kris walked toward it but noticed that some of the men stayed far back from it. Willie walked up to Granny May and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Willie Clay!" she exclaimed as she gave the man a big hug.

"I just met your granddaughter. Why ya been hiding her from me?" Willie complained.

"She was living in D.C."

Kris checked in with her grandmother.

"You must've been tired, huh?" Granny May said.

"Feel good now."

"This is a good man right here. Tanya Clay's son."

Kris had no idea who her grandmother was talking about.

"I see y'all setting up okay," Willie said.

"We'll be getting this baby quilt finished in the next two days and then sitting out here doing what we do, y'know," Granny May said.

"I hear ya, Miss May. I'ma let you all finish up. I wanted to stop by and say hello before we start cutting up. You know how we do around here."

"Yes indeedy."

"I'll make sure Kris has a nice time," he said.

"Thank you. I know she will," she said turning her eye toward the other men.

Granny May leaned in close to Willie so no one else could hear.

"You need anything, I got ya covered."

"I know you do, Ma'am. I never leave here without something. Please tell me you brought some more of that Peace Water with you. I just bought a new house. Closed on it last week."

"Congratulations! I'll have a big bottle set aside just for you. I sell out quick every year."

"I know that's right."

"Willie!"

One of the men behind them waved for Willie to move along with them.

"I'll come by later after you all are finished setting up."

Kris watched the men saunter off. Erik straggled behind. Otis did too.

"This place…this whole thing is huge, Granny," Kris said.

"It'll get bigger. More people coming in tomorrow."

"I can see why y'all wanted to come the day before."

"You were sleeping well. I came to get you and Erik said you were knocked out."

"You need help?"

Granny May's eyes slid behind her.

"No, go on with Erik and them. Let him and his cousins show you around. I want people to see you with them. And stay away from Otis."

"You know him?"

"Everyone here knows Otis. What's the name of that rapper you all make fun of?"

"Which one?"

"The one with all the babies."

"There's a lot of those, Granny—"

"The one that had the baby with the singer that went on and married that cute football player—"

"Future?"

"That's him. That's also Otis. Serial babymaker. Half these kids running around here probably his."

"Oop!"

"Stay clear."

Her grandmother reached into a dark plastic bag and brought out a green spritzer bottle and sprayed a heavy mist over Kris's head. The herbal fragrance was strong.

"What's this?" Kris asked trying to smell and discern the ingredients.

"No Good Nigga Repellant."

"Ohmigod, Granny…what in the world—"

"All these young women come to me every year for love potions and love magic, but what they need is this. I just created it."

"I hope that's not what you're calling it."

"Maybe I'll call it "No Future". How 'bout that?"

"I'm leaving you."

Kris walked toward Erik and his eyes were drawn to something to the right of him. Kris stepped closer and saw what he was staring at near a family grilling hamburgers on a small hibachi grill.

Vanessa.


	21. Trail Riders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris makes new friends and is approached by Vanessa for a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving along!  
> Thinking of a title for the second book in the "Concrete Cowboys" Series.

"From Texarkana to Louisiana, baby, to Alabama

This is for my folks in the South

To Mississippi, to the rough riders in Atlanta

I'ma certify riders from H-Town to the Bama

This is for the trail riders

This is for my trail riders

Down on the country road

This is for the trail riders

This is for my trail riders

Down on the country road…"

Melody Gold – "Trail Riders"

It had to happen soon enough.

Running into Otis.

Erik had hoped he wouldn't have to see his nemesis until later after a few beers and good barbecue had coated his stomach making him less irritated around the man. Ever since they were teens, Erik and Otis had a rivalry that became more mythic as the years wore on.

The muscles in Erik's face grew rigid when he saw Otis swoop in on Kris. That slow syrupy accent and close physical contact seemed to weaken the woman's defenses. She had treated Erik like an unwanted trash heap when they first met, but there she was cheesing at that tidewater negro like he was some country Prince Charming.

Ain't that some shit?

Erik played it cool, but the more interference he tried to throw in the mix, the more aggressive Otis became by staying next to her like he was her shadow. Otis backed off once they approached Kris's grandmother and the other older women she set up a tent with. Willie Clay chatted it up with Miss May as Erik watched Kris take in her surroundings. She looked like she was in awe of everything that was going on around her.

Erik took a moment to check his cell for the time and when he stuffed his phone into his back pocket, he caught sight of Vanessa talking to some women near a small grill. He started to back away from the scene and bumped into Monroe. Vanessa turned in his direction and met his stare with a grin on her face.

Kris stepped over to him, but the moment she saw Vanessa, her demeanor changed. Erik caught something on her face, something that looked to him like disappointment.

Vanessa strolled over to him switching her hips in a short jean skirt.

"Hi," she purred.

"Hey."

Vanessa looked over at Kris.

"Kris, right?"

"Yeah," Kris said.

"What are you up to?" Vanessa said.

"Showing Kris around. Her family came with us. It's her first time out here," he said hoping Vanessa would take a hint.

Erik's cousins moved forward with the rest of the men and he shuffled behind them. Otis tagged along near Kris once more and Vanessa slipped her arm around his as they walked.

"Should be a great trail ride this year," she said.

Erik loosened his arm away from hers and she frowned slightly at the disconnect.

"I hear it's supposed to be the biggest weekend yet," she said.

Vanessa glanced behind him.

"What's up, Otis?"

"Aye, girl," Otis drawled out.

"I'll see y'all later," Kris said.

"Where are you going?" Erik blurted out.

Kris tilted her head as she took a step back from them.

"I want to get my stuff and move it to where I'm camping with Selena and Asha—"

"I'll come open the door for you."

"I know the combina—"

He ushered her away from Vanessa and Otis.

"Erik, I know the code."

"You might get lost. You have a terrible sense of direction."

She didn't argue with him and followed along.

"Don't let Otis push up on you."

"Granny already warned me."

"She did?"

"Yeah. He's nice though. Knows a lot. I'm going to interview him later."

"For what?"

"He knows about the trail ride beginnings and he said he'd introduce me to some older men I can talk to that can give me more history. I'm going to try and figure out a narrative angle eventually, but right now, I just want to gather information."

They walked and said hello to other campers and people driving in to find spots to set up. Kris's eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas when she saw Erik's family camp spot. They had parked the two trailers and other vehicles into a large box shape with their large canopy tents set up inside the space in the middle. Pop Pop was already grilling hot links and strip steaks, while his mother and Grandmother sat in comfortable beach chairs with his aunts and uncles gathered around talking and catching up with campers right across from them. Erik's father and Uncle Caddo were tending to the horses in the back. Nana Rae snapped her fingers to Luther Vandross's "Bad Boy Having A Party" on her little old CD player.

They greeted everyone before moving on.

Reaching his trailer, he allowed Kris to punch in the code. While she gathered her things, he went to use the restroom. When he stepped into his kitchen area to grab a cold beer, he heard her face chatting with Jordan.

"…so many people here already. I can't even imagine how tomorrow is going to be when the trail ride happens."

"How's the weather?"

"Hot. Humid. I'm getting used to it. Did you hear from Mr. Powell?"

"Yeah. I didn't get it."

"Oh, baby. I'm sorry."

"I'm not worried. That was a long shot anyway. I'm surprised they got back to me so fast. I had a second interview with Maxine Waters' office. Hoping something pans out there. I'm also being considered for another freelance job."

"Crossing my fingers—"

"None of that superstitious stuff, Kris. I'm flooding this place with resumes and calling in every favor known to man. Something is bound to hit."

Kris stepped down from his bedroom and when she saw his face, she ended her chat soon after.

"Sounds like he's making moves," Erik said.

"Yeah."

"You'll be heading west before you know it."

"Hopefully by the time we get back from this trip."

She sidled up to him as he sipped his beer.

"Want one?"

"Sure."

He reached into the fridge again and handed her a can of Budweiser. She regarded him with cool eyes.

"What?"

The quirk of her lips turned playful.

"You and Vanessa giving it another go soon?"

"Nah. What about you and Otis?"

"Please."

"You were acting like you were interested."

"Are you jealous?"

"What…jealous…of what?"

"Otis told me you were jealous of him."

Erik sucked his teeth.

"The only thing that nigga got over me is a ton of babies. He's a walking stereotype."

"He said y'all were good friends at one time. What happened?"

Erik shrugged. Kris didn't question him further.

"Got your stuff?"

She nodded.

"I'ma set the horses up outside and then we can go."

"Are we still riding today?"

"Later."

Kris watched him work and he had her take Sunshine out so she would get used to handling the horse by herself. He guided her in tying the horse securely.

When the equines were settled near two shade trees with their feed bags and rubber water caddie, he helped carry one of Kris's camp bags and they drank their beers openly heading back over to his family. He was tempted to tell her to stay with him and his cousins, but she seemed keen on being with the larger group.

He caught a few eyes checking him out walking with Kris and by the time they made it back over to the family camp, he already knew the grapevine was buzzing with gossip about him. It crackled in the air.

"You made it!" Selena said.

She took Kris's bag from Erik's hand and led her into a tan tent with big plastic windows. Erik followed to peek inside. Kris looked around.

"Oh wow, I thought we were sleeping on the ground," Kris said.

Selena pointed to an empty folding cot that had a rolled-up sleeping bag on it.

"You can sleep on the ground if you want, but we like to be raised up."

"Cool."

Kris scooted her things back as she sat on the cot testing its sturdiness.

"Did Vanessa find you?" Selena asked Erik.

"Yeah."

"Good, because she was pestering your Mama and you know Portia ain't the one."

Selena sat on her sleeping cot and crossed her leg.

"Please don't have Miss Thang acting out while we're here Erik."

"I'm not responsible for her—"

"You remember what happened last year when you two got into it over some thot—"

"I ain't have nothing to do with all that! That was Caddo—"

"That was you."

Erik saw Kris sitting on her cot with a smirk on her face.

"Monroe told me what that girl did to your car too."

"Oh my God. What's with the interrogation?"

"You are too old for all this Erik."

"I'm gone."

He left the tent and could hear Kris giggling with Selena.

Erik saw his parents eating from paper plates as his grandmother scooped sides onto more plates while Pop Pop stayed on the grill.

"Hungry?" Portia said.

He saw the rest of his cousins rounding the trailer rubbing their stomachs.

"I am."

His mother fixed him a plate of steak, baked beans, and green beans with potatoes and bacon.

"You want some macaroni salad?"

"No, Ma'am, this is good. Thank you."

Erik stood and ate from his plate next to Portia, using his plastic fork to lift up the thin strip steak to his mouth so he could devour the tender well-seasoned meat. Nana Rae screamed and scared everyone for a moment until they all realized she caught sight of Biandro with her great-grandson Ramon. Ramon ran up to her and his great-grandmother smothered him with so much love and so many kisses.

"You've gotten so big, sweetheart!" she gasped.

Ramon hugged Nana Rae and then ran to Pop Pop.

"There he is!" Pop Pop said.

He put down the grilling fork in his hand and picked up Ramon.

"Be careful, Honey," Nana Rae said patting his back.

"I got him, woman."

Asha came out of the large trailer with two other pre-teen girls and squealed when she saw her little cousin. She ran up to him and the boy wiggled down from Pop Pop's arm and hugged her tight. Kris walked outside with Selena and his mother handed them both plates of food.

Erik enjoyed eating with his family and Kris chatted with his mother and Selena most of the time. He watched her toss her empty plate away and clutch onto the straps of a small backpack she wore.

"Erik!"

He turned his head and saw Daniela and her two friends walking with sodas in their hands.

"'sup, girl?"

He gave her a hug and greeted the two other women.

"This is Kris, Miss May's granddaughter."

"Hello," Daniela said.

She tossed her two long braids back and brought Kris into their circle.

"What are y'all getting into right now?" Erik asked.

"Hanging out and saying hey to folks."

The women greeted his family politely and made small talk before coming back to him.

Erik saw Otis and Willie Clay heading their way. He glanced over at Kris.

"Why don't you go with them and meet some more people. Daniela's Uncle hosts the rodeo on Saturday," he said.

"Oh, yeah?" Kris perked up quickly.

"Kris is going to write about this weekend. She likes history and she's an amazing writer."

"How do you know?" Kris teased.

"I read some of your stuff online."

Her face froze.

"For real?"

"Yeah. The article about the all-Black beach in Florida that tried to save their land from developers. And then there was the piece you did on young working-class Black families migrating back south from the West and East coasts after the housing market crash."

Those doe eyes regarded him with surprise. He nudged her toward Daniela. He trusted the other woman's sharp tongue to keep Kris away from the roaming packs of thirsty men.

"Let's go," Daniela said.

"Bring her back here in a couple of hours," Erik said.

Kris walked off with the other women and Erik saw Willie Clay and Otis take off in another direction when they saw Kris leave. Selena stared at him.

"What?"

"She likes you."

"Kris? Man…"

"She does."

"She got a man."

"That doesn't stop people from being attracted to you. I was watching her face while you talked about her. She's feeling you."

"Nah."

Selena walked over to Ramon and Asha, but her words stayed with Erik.

###

Kris laughed out loud as Daniela, Tamu, and Cynthia argued with two other women about salt pork or smoked turkey wings making greens taste better. She sat with them all in front of a bunch of folding tables drinking ice-cold spiked lemonade. The vodka and lemon juice made all the women loose-lipped and feeling good. Kris had her journal out taking notes, but she eventually decided to use her cell phone recorder to tape things she couldn't write down fast enough when they discussed Black cowgirl couture based on the region. Her phone was on half battery by the time she took a break to rest her writing hand.

The women were raunchy and raw, and Kris loved how welcoming they were to her. She appreciated being around a sisterhood in her age group. Tamu, a heavy-set beauty with a dangly belly ring that she showed off with a canary yellow crop top sucked her teeth.

"Otis out prowling," Tamu said placing her lush lips on her plastic cup.

Kris turned her head to watch Otis talking to some other women in the distance. His eyes flickered her way from time to time checking them out from afar. Daniela rolled her eyes.

"He's been acting a little salty today," Daniela said.

Regine, another curvy woman with the face and attitude of a high-end model ran her fingers across her loose puffy twists.

"How?" Regine asked.

Daniela sat forward and put her drink down.

"There are a lot of new guys around this year and you-know-who is here."

"Erik?"

Zenobia, a tall statuesque diva with soft flowing curls that fell down her back, scratched her skin that was slowly becoming a light copper brown. The way Erik's name fell from her lips made Kris pay close attention to her. Daniela giggled.

"Have you seen him yet?" Daniela asked.

Zenobia sat further back in her chair with a sly smile on her face.

"Ooh...you trying to get into something with him again this year?" Tamu teased.

"Girl, that was so two years ago," Zenobia said tossing her hair.

"He's single," Regine said.

"Who told you that?" Daniela asked.

"Selena," Regine said with a lascivious look on her face.

All the women stared at Zenobia.

Kris felt the top of her ears grow warm.

"That Texas girl he was with is here though, so you don't stand a chance," Daniela said.

"She ain't no competition. All I gotta do is wrap these thighs around his face and drop this pussy on his mouth again…"

Zenobia wiggled in her seat pretending to face ride Erik and Kris averted her eyes.

"What about Otis?" Tamu asked.

"What about him?"

"You open to getting with him again too?"

Zenobia waved her hand at Tamu and the women laughed again.

"Otis has good dick. I'll give him that. But Erik…"

She licked her lips.

"But you didn't fuck Erik," Daniela said.

"I saw the dick though, and trust me, he would've gotten me pregnant that night."

"Is he packing?" Cynthia asked.

Kris found herself nodding her head and stopped hoping that no one saw her do that.

"He got a thick leg. The man is blessed—"

"A big dick doesn't mean good dick though," Daniela chimed in.

"Let me put it to y'all like this. His tongue game on the kitty is profound. He drove me out to the field that one night and laid me out on this soft blanket in the back of his truck. My legs were pointing up toward all the stars in the sky and he had me almost singing Hallelujah with that mouth. I came so hard. Those big ass lips…he takes his time too, tongue doing all kinds of zig-zags on the clit—"

"TMI! Zenobia!" Daniela shrieked.

"No, I wanna hear this!" Tamu squeaked moving her chair closer to Zenobia.

Kris found herself leaning forward too.

Zenobia's eyes looked shiny from the memory.

"I was about to slurp all over that dick. Had it in my hand and everything. It was all hot. Veiny. Heavy. He was naked out there, but then some people started walking near us to smoke, so we had to stop. Then he got distracted with some friends when we tried to find a different spot and we never finished all the way. If a man can eat pussy the way he does, then I know his stroke game has got to be heavenly. His body was everything. He's my only regret in life."

Daniela saw Kris's face.

"I hope we aren't embarrassing you, Kris," she said patting her shoulder.

"I'm good," Kris said.

She touched her throat lightly and reached into her backpack for some lip balm. Zenobia had a dreamy expression on her face and Kris felt a twinge of jealousy. She knew what Erik's lips felt like on her own. Zenobia's revelation made Kris think of that man's mouth on her private place. Kris leaned back and her backpack fell forward. She grabbed for her personal items that spilled out.

"You have cards?" Tamu said.

"We should play bid whist," Daniela said.

"These aren't playing cards," Kris said.

Cynthia noticed the designs on the packaging.

"Tarot cards. You do that?"

"Yes."

"That stuff isn't real. Is it?" Regine asked.

"I've been doing it since I was eighteen and I haven't had a person doubt me yet," Kris said.

"Do me!" Zenobia said inching her chair closer to Kris.

Kris glanced around. They were in an open area, but there weren't a lot of people crowding near them. She touched the folding table in front of her.

"Does anyone have a cover for this, I don't like putting my cards on open surfaces."

Daniela jumped up and grabbed a shawl from inside her sleeping tent. She spread the thin black material over the table. Zenobia moved her folding chair in front of Kris. The other women moved in around them blocking any nosey people.

Kris shuffled the cards and watched Zenobia's face.

"What would you like to know?" Kris asked.

Zenobia folded her hands under her chin and squinted her eyes. Kris touched her right temple then cut the cards a few times. Zenobia fondled her silver chain around her neck.

"Will I hook up with Erik this weekend and complete what we never finished?" she finally said.

"See? I knew it!" Daniela said chuckling.

Kris placed the deck of cards in front of Zenobia.

"Cut it as many times as you want, but don't stack them."

Zenobia reached out her left hand and cut the cards seven times. Kris restacked them and held them in her hands while she looked deep into Zenobia's eyes. There was a cool tingle at the top of Kris's head and she closed her eyes and focused on the sensation as it pooled around her crown. She shuffled the cards with her eyes closed three more times before she did a simple three-card draw.

Ten of Wands.

Three of Pentacles.

The Empress.

All three cards were upright.

Kris studied Zenobia's face. The smile that sat there faded as she regarded Kris's expression.

"You look like you see something bad," Zenobia said.

"No…um…"

"I won't hook up with him?"

Kris's eyes darted around taking in the other women.

"I'm getting something that has nothing to do with Erik, but you need to know about it."

"Tell me," Zenobia said with a rush of breath.

"It's personal."

"These are my girls they can hear it."

"I would feel better if—"

"Girl, just spill it!" Zenobia said with a huff.

Kris inhaled and touched each card tenderly.

"You're pregnant."

"Tuh!"

Zenobia sat back and waved a dismissive hand at Kris.

"Now I know this shit is fake. I just had my period."

The silence around them made Zenobia stare at the cards.

"I'm telling you the truth. The father of your baby is here. Your child was made with love, but you don't want to be with the Daddy because he's unreliable—"

Zenobia waved her hand again.

"Next. Anybody else want to try this?"

None of the other women spoke up. Zenobia glared at Kris.

"What am I supposed to be having then?"

"It's a boy. I mean, it will be a boy. He will have a birthmark on his face like his father-"

"I asked about Erik—"

"No. You won't ever get with Erik again."

Zenobia stood up and yanked her sunglasses down on her eyes.

"I'm going to get something to eat," she said.

The woman stormed off and Kris felt a shift in the energy around her.

"Lorenzo has a birthmark. That's who she's been messing with lately," Daniela said to no one in particular.

Tamu slid into the chair vacated by Zenobia.

"Do me next," she whispered.

###

Sunshine was as sweet as pie as Kris followed behind Selena and Asha on the trail ride. The horse kept a slow steady gait that made Kris feel secure riding so close to other horses. She noticed Otis riding near her as they followed over three hundred other trail enthusiasts. Kris wanted to stay near the back so she wouldn't mess up the pace of everyone else. And if she had trouble with Sunshine or got bucked off the horse, hardly anyone else would see it.

The weather was perfect. Blue skies. A comfortable temperature. Light breeze lifting tree leaves in soft flutters.

Kris took a sip of water from the small canteen she brought tied to her saddle. Biandro eased up next to her with his son Ramon riding with him. His son held onto the horn of the saddle as he rested his body against his father's. Ahead of them was Monette and her riding friends.

"Liking it so far?" Biandro asked.

"Love it," she said gripping the reins.

"You can ease up on that. Sunshine is a good horse. She's done this trail before many times."

Biandro's voice sounded light. The man simply beamed when he was with his son. The eight-year-old was polite, well-behaved, and a little science nerd. The night before Ramon kept showing Kris the things he could do with his little chemistry set mixing solutions. Asha adored him and spent all her time coddling him and dragging him around with her little friends.

"Hey, Kris."

Daniela rode up next to her with Tamu and Cynthia. All three women had dark brown mares that pranced as they walked.

"Zenobia came back this morning," Daniela said.

"What you said was true. She didn't even know," Cynthia said.

"I shouldn't have said anything."

"She asked to do it. It's not your fault she got answers to questions she didn't ask for. That was some higher power stuff," Tamu said.

"I think I scared a lot of people yesterday."

"No, people were just…shocked."

Kris loosened her hands on the reins and Sunshine just gently carried her. All the voices around her sounded like the best mix of Southern dialects thrown into a big pot of thick chunky gumbo. Red clay Georgia Geechee inflections floating over muddy Mississippi laughter and Kentucky smokey mountain parlance…so many incarnations of Black vernacular English.

"Come hang with us later at the tent, okay? We're making dirty martinis," Daniela said.

"Sure."

Kris watched the women ride ahead of her as she tapped Sunshine's side with her right foot to make her go a little faster as she straggled further behind Selena.

"Kris."

Vanessa came up on Kris's left side with a blue roan horse and a fancy sable saddle with her name etched in eggshell white Old English lettering. Her hair was slathered with a glossy gel that made her short hair have a crown of bouncy curls. Kris admired the woman's rose tattoo on her leg with the coochie cutters she had on. Kris thought her own shorts were a little risqué riding so high on her thigh, but they were church conservative compared to Vanessa's cheek peeking cut-offs.

"Hi. I didn't want to bother you on the ride, but I didn't know when I'd see you again."

Kris's curious face regarded the other woman as she made her horse match Sunshine's speed. Vanessa glanced around. No one was paying attention to them because there were too many distractions. Kris adjusted her cowgirl hat as she felt it lift up from her head as another cooling breeze snuck past.

"You're not bothering me."

"Good. I talked to some people yesterday who you said you gave readings?"

"I do."

Vanessa's eyes looked ahead before darting back to Kris.

"They also said you do other stuff too."

"Other stuff like…?"

"You can make things. To help people with relationship problems."

"Oh…you need some help?"

She nodded in a way that let Kris know she was trying not to offend her by being so open with the request.

"You know Erik."

"I do. I mean, I work for him—"

"Not just that. You're close with his family. That's what I hear."

"My grandmother is—"

"He and I aren't connecting like we used to. We almost got engaged recently."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"He has a lot of responsibility and I think he was nervous about building the perfect house for us on his family's ranch…it was just a lot going on. Pressure from his family to get married right away. I think he's scared to commit to me again because he probably worries that he won't keep me happy this time."

"You weren't happy with him when you were together?"

"I was. We were happy…"

Kris was nearly on the edge of her saddle wanting to know more. She couldn't imagine Erik wanting to get married fast with the way he went through women. A loose booty lifestyle seemed to be his calling. Vanessa's eyes seemed to well up with memories and Kris looked away quickly not wanting to see her cry over him.

They rode together among the other riders for a few minutes and she enjoyed the clop-clop sounds of hooves on the red-brown country dirt. Kris could see up ahead that many of the riders were narrowing the width of riders.

Erik built Vanessa the house he lived in. Kris dreamed of buying and owning a house one day. The thought of having a home built from scratch for her was a fantasy. Their relationship had to be serious to go that far on living arrangements. But didn't he say that if he brought a woman there they'd have to be marriage material? From her recollection, he never brought a woman there-

"Can you make me something to win him back?"

"I didn't bring anything with me—"

"Your grandmother. She has things here, yeah?"

"You could get something from her."

"I want it from you. A love potion, or whatever it is you do to make him come back to me."

"Love shouldn't be forced. It can be encouraged and affirmed—"

"I'll pay you whatever you want. I can afford it."

"It's not about money, Vanessa."

"Please. Make me something to affirm us then. I don't care."

"River bed!" Selena called back.

All the horses in front of them stopped. Vanessa kept her horse next to Sunshine. One rider at a time moved forward and when it was Kris's turn to cross into the brown Shelby river water, she grew nervous. Horses plowed forward and the water covered their legs. Selena and Asha rode down into it with practiced skill.

"Stay to the left, there's a hole on the right!"

Erik's voice rang out across the other side. His eyes lit up when he saw Kris and she found herself smiling at him for some reason. It was the first time she had seen him on the trail once they started. He had helped her with Sunshine's saddle and gave her some extra pointers when they arrived at the start of the trailhead, but then he was off with his cousins and friends leaving her with Selena and Asha. Erik's mother tagged along with her for the first twenty minutes but eventually galloped ahead to join a clique of older women.

She liked being with Selena because she was funny, especially when Otis came checking on Kris with another man. Otis was friendly and still flirtatious. He complimented her on her hat and her boots. He said her skin looked like brown gold and that her eyes were like pretty new pennies in the sunlight. It was corny but Kris ate it up because he was so sincere. If Erik or Jordan said that stuff she would've laughed, but his accent and the way his voice had that sexy lilt to it made her see why he had so many kids running around. He was a honey dripper and while he was trying to lay out a trap for her, she could see all the bees buzzing around his beguiling smile and emerald eyes trying to get him to look their way. Kris knew he was only paying attention to her because she was fresh meat and he liked big breasts. All the women that Daniela pointed out to her that had been with Otis and had babies by him had large tits. The attributes he praised her about openly could not hide the slick peeks he took at her chest.

Truth be told, Kris was missing male attention. Jordan's physical absence had her craving male energy. Even if it was sugary flattery to get into her panties. Her apple cheeks couldn't help but perk up whenever he came around her waiting to see what cornball words he would string together like a honeycomb to get her eyes on him.

"C'mon, Kris," Erik called out.

Sunshine stepped down from the side of the riverbed and Kris felt her back lean back.

"You're okay, girl. Relax," Erik said.

Water splashed onto her boots and legs and she pulled the reins gently to the left and Sunshine headed that way until Vanessa splashed in next to her causing the horse to veer to the right. Sunshine caught her balance but her hooves tried to find traction in the depression beneath them and they both tottered and Kris squealed thinking they were going to fall over into the hole breaking the horse's legs. Erik rode forward from the other side and she saw Big Man splash hard into the river.

Vanessa followed along the left until she and her horse were on the far side and sat in the water waiting for Kris. Kris clutched onto the saddle horn and her thighs clenched around Sunshine. Short whistle bursts erupted to Kris's right and she saw Otis gallop forward blocking Sunshine from going further near the drop with his horse. He whistled again and his horse stood still.

"I got her, man," Erik said with a slight snarl in his voice.

Other riders crossed and Kris worried that she was slowing down the procession. Otis stayed put and people went around them.

"C'mon, Kris," Erik said.

Kris sucked her teeth and tapped her foot against Sunshine and the mare found her footing and eased past Erik. Looking further ahead she saw that the next part of the trail was inside the river that had precarious stones and different levels of water. Her eyes flicked up toward Erik's. He moved Big Man alongside her left side when he saw her anxious breathing.

"I'm here with you. Don't worry."

Erik reached over and squeezed her hand and she felt the tightness leave her chest and throat. But they quickly returned when she saw the sharp eyes of Vanessa staring at Erik's hand holding hers.


	22. Guess Who Loves You More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik grapples with his feelings for Kris while she takes stock of her own relationship with Jordan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I split a chapter in two so the next one should be up tomorrow!

"Lady, lady, lady, my darlin', darlin', baby  
I wanna restore your hope  
Forget about the past, this thing's gon' last, so  
I wanna try this, I wanna rock you to sleep  
The right way, what I'm tryna say is

Guess who loves you more?  
Hey love, guess who loves you more than he did?  
Guess who treats you better than he did?  
Girl, me, that' s right, me  
When you gon' see? Wake up and see"

Raheem DeVaughn – "Guess Who Loves You More"

Erik was in the uncomfortable position of being caught between the last two people he wanted to be around.

Vanessa rode next to him on his left while Otis rode on his far right next to Kris. Kris looked just as uncomfortable sandwiched inside an awkward trail ride. Erik just wanted to ride with her and make her feel confident. If Vanessa hadn't barged her way forward and startled Sunshine, Kris probably wouldn't look so nervous riding inside the river.

Erik had to listen to Otis flapping his gums about moonshine and whiskey. Kris was engaged with the conversation and he had a hard time keeping his mouth shut with the urge to tell Otis to go away. Oddly, Erik hadn't been able to spend much time with Kris. The day before she had skipped riding practice with him to hang out with Daniela longer. Something went down because there was a buzz about Zenobia leaving the campsite and whispers about Kris talking to a lot of people over by Daniela's campsite. When Erik went looking for her to ask if she wanted to eat with his cousins over by his trailer where they were playing dominoes and drinking beer outside, he couldn't find her.

There were sightings of her going in and out of his trailer several times to recharge her phone when he was away, and the last known location of her was over by her grandmother and the coven where the older women were hand-stitching patchwork quilts together. He thought he caught a glimpse of her running after an electric golf cart to catch up with someone, but by the time he caught up to the cart as it passed by a swarm of campers, he had lost her. Erik felt like he was four years old chasing after her little ass again. It wasn't until she was standing outside his trailer Friday morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed waiting for him to tack up Sunshine that he saw her finally. Kris's hands were shoved in the front pockets of her faded shorts and her legs were shiny with coconut oil that he could smell. Her boots made the slight curve in her legs more visible.

She wore two short pigtails under her hat like she did at work and the natural beauty of her pixie face made him admire how really attractive she was. She had a real face. None of that social media sculpted sameness that he was tired of seeing on women. Her nose wasn't contoured into oblivion until she looked like a freaky cartoon cyborg, and she wasn't greasing down overly sculpted baby hairs, or poking out her lips like some clout-chasing baddie. Kris was regular. A cute petite woman with a big personality who treated him like he was just a regular guy too.

He liked that.

When he helped her get on Sunshine and she looked down at him, something moved inside his chest that made him pause.

He liked her.

For more than a friend.

Standing there staring up at that nonchalant face of hers, Erik took Selena's words to heart again. Kris liked him too.

It wasn't overt, but thinking back to all of their encounters up until that moment, Erik had to admit that he could feel something from Kris that was more than being an open person and getting to know him better as a platonic buddy.

He thought his first response to acknowledging that he was attracted to her would find him fighting against it. However, he didn't. The more she prattled on about Jordan and leaving Texas, the more he hated that reality. Erik didn't want her to leave Mariscal.

Because he didn't have direct access to her when and how he wanted like normal, Erik was forced to get to know her in a way that was honest and real. Without sex and his need to dominate the women he was with, he had to move around Kris carefully. His ego came into play then often. Big time. He found ways to cut her down when she got a little big-headed at work or when she was off on one of her Jordan-is-so-great tangents. He hated that man. Wanted him to drop off the face of the earth.

There were times at the bar when Erik caught Kris looking at him and it made him feel good. She always brought him something to eat when he took cigar breaks outside and would watch him take the first bite of anything that the kitchen fixed. Then she'd make that slow lazy walk back to the bar often looking back at him to sneak peeks. If he was in the office checking in with Blue, she made it a habit to come in and ask him about something that could've waited or could've been handled by Blue. He would be mixing a drink or talking to an employee and her eyes would settle on him and it would make him feel…soft. Soft in a way that made him want her for himself.

But the boyfriend…

Erik had to sort himself out about it many times. Did he want her only because he hated Jordan and wanted to steal something from him to check that smug bastard's attitude? Did he want her because he needed Kris to fall prey like all the lovers in his life? Did he want to knock down that dismissive attitude she had about him when she thought she was better than the other women he messed with? He still remembered the way she cackled at him when he juggled three women at once at the bar. Arletta. Vanessa. Brandy. She laughed at him like he was a joke.

Did he need her in real life now because he was tired of the masturbation fantasies he had of her damn near every day? Like clockwork, he'd be alone in his bed at night, naked, legs spread wide as he beat his erection while thinking of her walking to him on his cigar break, climbing into his truck and unfastening her bra, lifting her work shirt just above her nipples so he could see those big areolas, and then sucking his dick until he busted in her mouth. He wanted her on her knees in front of him, his length surrounded by her tits while he watched her make him spurt all in between her breasts. Erik never had a size kink before, but Kris brought it out of him as he imagined himself ravaging her on his bed. That adorable little booty of hers had to have a tight little pussy to go with it.

Erik couldn't fathom the nasty thoughts that went through his head watching her at times. He would be horrified if she could read his mind while he looked at her. He could be staring at the back of her dainty neck as she wrote down a drink order and a soft tuft of her hair could be twisted around the small gold chain she wore on her neck. Erik would imagine himself walking up to her and gently untangling the strands from the necklace. Then he'd bend his head down to press his lips against her sweet-smelling skin. Seconds later he was thinking of bending her over and giving her raw pipe in a way that he knew Jordan had never given her. What would she sound like with him slapping against her? Did she call her man Daddy when being stretched out? If she didn't, he would make her—

Kris's eyes took in his face while she sat up on Sunshine and Erik thought up erotic situations with her. He couldn't help himself.

He wanted her because he wanted her.

Erik wanted Kris Montana to be his woman.

Period.

He wanted her mind. He wanted her laughter. He wanted to pick her up and carry her to his house and feed her country eggs and ham with biscuits and gravy. He wanted to take her fishing and ride horses with her on his land. He wanted to walk around the ranch with her like his grandparents did every night, holding hands and looking up at the stars. He wanted a chance to be a real man for once with someone who gave him no slack and didn't mince her words.

The feeling came over him like he was getting a fever.

At the trailhead, his plans to ride with her faded as he grappled with his emotions about her. Selena, Asha, and his mother swooped in on her, and Erik rode off with Monroe and Caddo to catch up with their buddies. He needed the cool distraction to temper the overwhelming sensation rising inside of himself. Vanessa was the only woman who came close to making Erik feel like this before, but her pressure on him to be her everything, and her expectations about what he should be doing for her turned him off. The early days of his relationship with Vanessa gave him the same intense rush that Kris was giving him now and yet…it was different. Kris didn't ask him for shit, wasn't expecting shit from him, and Erik could enjoy her pressure-free.

Once he had his fill of riding with family and old homies, Erik rode Big Man back to the river entrance and waited for Kris. He wasn't expecting all the interference that came with the waiting.

The splash of water under Big Man made Erik return to his present situation. The shitty sandwich. He glanced over at Kris and he caught her looking back at him. He wondered if she wanted to ride ahead and leave the dead weight behind. Luckily Otis's uncle swept him up to talk rodeo business and Erik couldn't hide the sneer on his face as Otis rode away from Kris's side.

Erik found himself next to a woman he wanted and another he wanted to leave behind. The three of them rode in silence. Birds chirped, horses clomped along, and a gentle breeze rose up. Kris closed her eyes and inhaled deeply while Erik stared at her face. Simple things like that made his heart race a little. She looked happy. He wanted to see her happy.

This felt so different.

They caught up to Selena and Asha who took a picture with Selena's phone.

"Gotcha in the back!" Selena said.

Kris rode up to his cousin and looked at her phone.

"Cute!" she said.

The dimple in her chin grew deeper as she smiled.

Kris rode off with Selena and Asha leaving him with Vanessa. His eyes watched her grow into a speck far ahead.

"Ain't that some shit," Vanessa said.

Erik cut his eyes over to her. Vanessa had a crease in her forehead and her lips were a tight angry line. Her voice sounded bitter.

"You're fucking her."

Erik darted his eyes away from her and started riding forward. She stuck to him.

"Here I am talking to her…"

"I just want to ride in peace."

"How long have you been with her?"

"I'm not with her—"

"Liar. It's all over your face."

"Go be with your friends, Vanessa. This is family time for me."

She galloped off and he sat back in the cut to give himself space and distance from her. And Kris.

###

Four hours and ten minutes.

Kris dropped down from Sunshine with sore booty cheeks and a darker hue on her skin that made her feel like a bronze Goddess. Four hours and ten minutes of country sun, clean air, and good company riding a pleasant horse and thinking of a gazillion ways to write about the experience of Black families coming together and enjoying nature. Old people. Young people. It was a family reunion of a different sort when so many families gathered in one place. The children touched Kris the most. Watching them listen to stories from elders as they rode, or hearing them ask questions about a relative who passed on years before who once rode those same paths…it was the connection of rooting children to the culture that gave Kris some threadbare ideas of how to tell the story of North Carolina.

She helped Erik settle Big Man and Sunshine down with food and plenty of water. She watched him and his cousins groom their horses as they cooled them down and she had a chance to brush Sunshine herself and feel the strong equine muscles under her fingers.

Erik checked their hooves for debris and when the horses were happy and napping, they all walked over to the Stevens' family hub and chowed down on hotdogs and burgers. Kris spent time sitting with her grandmother and Erik's parents as the entire clan relived the trail ride and caught up with the family and friends who stayed behind in the camp to socialize. Kris loved that part the most. Socializing. Once again, she had her journal out and jotted out snippets of stories and terms she had never heard before.

A game of horseshoes broke out near the big trailer and Kris played with Pop Pop and the older Steven's men. She did pretty well and she was pleased with herself. It hurt to sit down, so standing and stretching helped ease the after-riding aches. Erik joined her in horseshoes and they squared off. He trash talked her as usual, but she noticed he wasn't as caustic with his teasing. He helped her improve her horseshoe throwing technique and allowed her a couple of do-overs in the middle of a match. If anything, he seemed calmer. There was always some sort of chaotic energy around Erik back in Texas when they worked together, but in Shelby, he was acting a little different. He slowed down. Even the way he talked was different. That raspy Mariscal drawl became sweet tea to her ears.

Dinner consisted of more hamburgers and hot dogs and when it grew darker, Erik strolled with her back to his trailer to charge up her phone again. She heard him sit outside on a folding chair drinking another beer and talking to his camping buddies who stopped to chat. Monroe joined him for a time and she took advantage inside his bedroom to face chat with Jordan in private. She closed the bedroom divider and sat on Erik's neatly made bed. Waiting for Jordan to answer, she glanced around the bedroom to check for any tell-tale signs of a woman being there. The heel of her boot hit the side of his bed and she reached down to fix the cover and she felt a box.

Condoms.

Unopened.

She quickly pushed them back where she kicked them and saw Jordan's face pop up.

"Hey, baby! I had so much fun today. We came back from the trail ride and my butt was on fire—"

"I didn't get the job. The Waters gig. The freelance thing fell through too."

Jordan's face looked drained. He was a little red in the cheeks and she knew he was pissed too.

"I'm sorry, Jordan—"

"I didn't get a second interview with that Winehouse group I was telling you about."

Jordan took a sip from the Pepsi he had in his hand as he looked at her from his computer screen. He crushed the can with aggression that she was all too familiar with when he didn't get his way.

"I wish I was there with you," she said.

"That wouldn't change anything. Just make me feel worse."

"Jordan—"

He threw the can offscreen and she could hear it clang against the uncarpeted floor. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tension crept back into her chest.

"I feel like I'm failing you…us…" he said.

"Moving across the country and finding a new job is difficult. We knew that when we left, and I have faith that something will arrive soon."

"Always the optimist," he said with a smile.

"I have to be. We're young, healthy, fabulously Black, and educated. What more can we want to get ahead in life?"

"I'm putting out feelers in San Francisco and Sacramento."

"Wait…what? San Francisco?"

"L.A. might not be the move—"

"But you just got there and it's too expensive to live in San Francisco—"  
"What am I supposed to do then? Sit here and wait? Live off of middling unemployment?"

"You don't know anyone up there."

"Gigi, Kalen's girlfriend knows some people up there I could possibly crash with."

"Gigi?"

"She lives here with Kalen, me, and the others. I mean she crashes here a lot so she might as well live here. She hooked me up with some contacts."

"Jordan, I don't want to live in San Francisco or Sacramento."

"Baby, I gotta go where the jobs are."

More tension crept along Kris's neck.

"I wish you would talk to me about stuff first before you go all gung ho."

"I'm talking to you about it now. What's the problem?"

"The problem is you're making decisions without me—"

"No, I'm not—"

"Yes, you are!"

"I'm not going to sit here feeling bad already and have you screaming at me."

"I'm not screaming—"

"Why is your voice raised then?"

"Because you're being a dick right now!"

"Let's just end this chat before I say something that I'll regret?"

"Like what?"

"Call me tomorrow—"

"No, I want to hear what you'll regret saying to me."

"Let's talk tomorrow. When your tone is better."

Kris's heart was in her throat.

"Kris…baby, let's just talk tomorrow."

Her tongue went to the roof of her mouth and she pressed her lips shut.

"Kris?"

"Fine. Bye."

She swiped her phone and turned it off. It charged and she watched the blinking green battery avatar tell her the percentages of growing battery power. Once her hands stopped shaking and she no longer saw red in her eyes, she left Erik's bedroom and walked outside for air.

Erik stayed posted up in his chair against the trailer and Kris felt the caul of embarrassment shroud her face. She lost her headphones on the way to Shelby, so Erik probably heard everything. She thought he had left with Monroe and their friends. He had a licorice root stick wedged in his mouth and a bottle of pear ale in his hand. He chugged down the ale and put the bottle by his foot. His eyes regarded her with cool detachment. Or so she thought.

"Come here," he said.

That sugary rasp in his tone caught her off guard. The stick in his mouth accentuated his full lips.

She stepped closer to him and he held his hand out to her. Kris placed her palm in his and he clasped her hand.

"No man should be talking to you like that just because he's down on his luck."

"You heard it all?"

"I heard it all."

He pulled her closer.

"Sit," he said opening his legs.

Already feeling discombobulated, Kris sat on Erik's lap. He sat up more and their shoulders touched.

"You deserve better, Kris."

"Are you drunk?" she teased.

"Nah. You heard what I said."

"We'll work it out. We always do—"

"You deserve more."

"I'll have more. One day—"

"You keep saying stuff like that. I'm not talking about material stuff, girl."

Her eyes darted away from his and she turned her head to stare at the trees across from them. Erik held her chin and pulled her face back to his.

"I'm serious. You don't need him. He's going to do what he wants and he expects you to follow along because that's what you do."

"You don't know anything about us—"

"I know he ain't the man for you. On God. You're wasting good years on a sucker."

"Who should I be wasting my good years on then? Huh? Smartass-"

"Me."

"You?"

"Yeah me."

"I'm not even your type…"

Kris's heart beat a little faster. The way Erik was staring at her made her unravel a bit at the seams. He pulled the licorice root from his mouth.

"What's my type?"

Did his voice get a little deeper?

Erik's left arm snaked around her waist and his right hand rested against her naked thigh.

"Tell me. What's my type?"

There was tickling at the back of her neck.

"Showy women."

"What's that?"

"Women who need a lot of attention. They show off a lot. I'm not like that."

"You show off too."

"No, I don't."

"Every time you open your mouth and talk about history or how you see the world…that's showing off your brain."

"You like bad bitches—"

"Says who?"

"Every woman I've seen you with. Even the ones here."

"I haven't been with anyone here—"

"Zenobia?"

"Girl…that's old—"

"You do stuff to them—"

She clamped her mouth shut.

"I do what?"

"Nothing."

"Zenobia say something to you?"

"Bragging."

"Cuz I'm good."

Kris stood up and Erik pulled her back down.

"I'm playing, girl."

"Not when it comes to that. Even Vanessa came to me asking for a love potion to get you back."

"Don't change the subject. I'm talking about you…and me."

"I know you're drunk."

"I'm buzzing, but I'm not talking shit."

"Yes, you are—"

"I like you, Kris. Not for a friend or an employee, or because our grandmothers are besties. I like everything about you and it bugs the hell out of me that you're with Jordan. I ain't never in my life had to beg to get with a woman or even lust after some other man's girl. But you got me out here feeling weird. Doing shit I ain't never thought of doing…being with one person."

Erik's head tilted back.

"I was on Big Man today thinking of ways to ask you to leave your man—"

"Ohmigod—"

"Exactly."

"Who does that?"

"Me, apparently. I want you to leave him and give me a chance."

His head dropped forward and he exhaled loudly.

"I didn't think I'd really say that out loud to you."

"With your whole chest too."

Erik burst out laughing and she could hear the relief in the sound.

"It's not right, Erik. For you to ask me that."

"I can ask you whatever I want. Kris. You have the right to say yes or shoot me down."

"I'm going to shoot you down—"

"Because you're scared."

"I'm not scared."

"You know all that bragging you do about Jordan? Sounds like fear to me. You prop him up so high that it sounds like you need to convince yourself more so than others."

"What do I have to be scared of?"

"Scared that maybe you invested time and love into someone who really doesn't give a damn about you. I know you hold onto his hard-luck orphan life as something to root for and it is commendable. But that doesn't mean you should stay with him if he's not making you happy. I watched you on Sunshine today. I watched you interact with my family and with me. You were the happiest I've seen you. Without Jordan. He brings you down. You tried to share that happiness with him and he shot it down to focus on his problems. He could've listened to you first. Let you share how your day went before he complained about his. Hell, if it was me, I would be ecstatic if my woman had a great time. It would make me try harder to get over my slump. I'm jealous of a man who has so much and can't even appreciate it. It's got me fucked up."

Her vision grew blurry.

"Aw girl…it's okay. I put a lot on you. Don't cry…"

"He doesn't…."

"What?"

Erik wiped away her tears but more flowed down his fingertips.

"He doesn't appreciate me."

"I'm sorry."

Erik cradled her and she shook with quiet sobs on his lap. She rested her face on his shoulder and felt guilt wrack her small frame.

"Let it out," he whispered.

The tears were hot and cooled fast on his neck. The boulder of tension that rested in her chest crumbled.

"I love him, but it's hard and I'm tired of carrying him."

"I know you are. I can see it. Saw it when he was in Texas too."

"I just wish he communicated wit—t-t-h—"

"Take your time, baby…"

"I don't need much, but…but…it's always going over the top to impress in his world. I can't do it anymore. I just want to be with someone who can live within their means, y'know?"

Kris sat up and wiped her eyes. Erik's soft brown ones watched her with concern.

"I'm simple. I want to be comfortable and read books. Write some books. I just want a little house like the one you built for Vanessa."

"I didn't build a house for Vanessa."

"She said you were about to be engaged and you made your house for her."

Erik chuckled.

"There's no such thing as about-to-be-engaged. Either you're engaged or you're not. I was never going to marry her. I built my house for myself. Not for Vanessa. She and I were serious for a minute. She met my parents a few times at their house and my grandparents at Selena's place. She's never been to the Roux. Our relationship fizzled out and that was it."

"Oh."

Erik reached up tugged on one of her braids.

"You care deeply for Jordan. I know you do. Somewhere in his selfish heart he probably really loves you too. But if you are in this much pain Kris…let that shit go. You shouldn't be on my lap crying and that nigga is three thousand miles away planning a life without you there by his side."

His eyes darted down to her hands as he cradled them with his right one.

"All I want to say is that you can have me if you want to try something different. I'm going to show you a good time while we're here so I can see happiness on your face. I won't judge you anymore. I won't talk bad about him. I'm just going to be here for you to have some backwoods country fun with a bunch of roughneck cowboys. If you want to sit here and cry all night on my lap, you can do that too and I won't say anything. I think you're beautiful, Kris. Bowlegs and all, girl."

Erik lifted his licorice root to his lips, but Kris pressed her mouth over his before he could chomp down on it. Her fingers caressed the sides of his face and it took a gentle nudging with her tongue to get him to open the seam in his lips once he got over the shock of her kissing him. It only took them a few seconds to find their rhythm and slide into slow wet sucking.

Erik pulled back and caught his breath, his eyes glazed over.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" he gasped.

"Thanking you," she said.

"I don't know if—"

Kris engulfed his lush lips with her wet eager mouth and when he wrapped his strong arms around her and anchored her on his lap, she felt something she had never felt in her life with a man.

Secure.


	23. Tell Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rodeo opens Kris’s eyes to the prowess of the Stevens women and makes her look at Erik with new eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter. Enjoy!

"I've been doing my own thing  
Love has always had a way of having bad timing  
But to my great surprise  
Ever since I looked in your eyes  
I had one question for you

Tell me if you want me to  
Give you all my time  
I want to make it good for you  
'Cause you blow my mind  
I promise boy that I'll be true  
You're the perfect find  
So tell me if you want me to"

Groove Theory – "Tell Me"

Don'tGetHardDon'tGetHardDon'tGetHardDon'tGetHard…

Erik relaxed into Kris's lips as her soft fingers held his jawline. He couldn't believe it. She was making the first move on him and he found it hard to concentrate on her ravenous mouth. Her tongue was licking, twirling, sucking, and teasing his and he felt the blood in his body rushing to his groin. The space between his thighs began to plump up and his own fingers itched to paw at her breasts. He wanted to lift her up and take her inside the trailer. Undress her slowly and show her what her man couldn't do.

Before his manhood could grow any larger, he pulled away from her greedy lips and rubbed the side of her hip. Kris shifted her weight on his lap and Erik knew she felt his dick under her cheeks as he groaned deep in his throat from the friction.

Erik could still see the moist shine of tears under her eyelids. That pain in her heart was still there and taking advantage of her weakened state wouldn't benefit him in the long run. He wanted this woman for himself, and he wanted her to come to him willingly because she wanted him and not because she was upset with her boyfriend and feeling vulnerable. Saying the words out loud to her made him dig into the conviction of making her his own. But he wanted her to come correct. With no baggage.

He pressed his nose into her warm neck and inhaled her scent. Her homemade oil with the coffee beans and hints of vanilla, pepper, and cardamom enticed him. What he wouldn't give to push his lips there, suck on the skin, leave red love bites all along the side of her golden-brown flesh. Claim her. His dick grew fatter in his pants with the thought and she moved her backside again. Trying to be slick.

Kris was in a high emotional state, easily susceptible to his natural charms. Any actions she did at that moment wouldn't be sincere or even real when her mind was still on Jordan. He could feel it even through the kissing. Erik wanted her mouth on him at the right time. Their time. He could wait for it. At least he thought he could.

"Whatchu gonna do, girl?" he asked.

Her back straightened at his words and her hands dropped into her lap.

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do. He doesn't make you happy. You just told me he doesn't appreciate you. I could hear that he doesn't respect you or even listen to you."

Erik felt irritation rising in his tone. He pulled back the bass in his throat.

"Lemme make this clear so there's no confusion here on out. I want you. Straight up. I don't care what you may hear about me while you're running around collecting stories and recording shit on your phone. I don't care how many other niggas try to push up on you—"

"Ain't nobody trying to push up on me—"

"Otis, Willie Clay, Lil Paul, Buster, Big Mike, Ray—"

"You're making stuff up—"

"Girl I be out here watching. Niggas is clocking."

"All these big fine women walking around camp? These dudes are not checking for my scrawny ass—"  
He grabbed her chin and held it.

"Listen to me. Don't underestimate your appeal to these fools out here. Hear me?"

Her eyes grew serious and he saw her swallow hard with his hand on her face.

"Please don't have me out here knocking niggas out. I promised Nana and my Mama I was going to be good this year. Don't fuck it up for me."

She laughed at him and his right hand slid down her neck. He let his fingers splay out on the side of her throat.

"I'm not joking, Kris."

Her eyes fell away from his intense gaze and she stood up from his lap. He hated the removal of her body from his. Tugging his shirt down over his crotch, Erik leaned forward and clasped his hands together.

"Whatchu gon' do?"

"Don't pressure me, Erik."

"Baby, I'm just tryna keep it one hundred with you—"

"Don't call me, baby."

Her words were curt. She was keeping him in his place. It made him grin.

"I don't know why I kissed your ass," she sighed while throwing her left hand on her hip.

"You're into me. I can see it. And I can feel it."

She balled her right hand into a fist and then touched her lips with it.

"I'm going to get my phone."

Her eyes wrenched away from his and he stepped to the door of his trailer before she could reach it.

"I won't pressure you. I just think maybe…maybe our grandmothers know more than we do and I'm willing to listen to them."

Erik moved out of her way so she could go into the trailer. When she was inside, he walked away from the scene fast so she wouldn't think he was going to hover over her. His heart felt light and clean. Open. So wide open.

He passed by his family's camp and everyone was drinking and being chatty and completely ignored him as he shuffled by.

"Hey man, wait up."

Biandro tagged alongside him.

"Where's Ramon?" Erik asked.

"He's knocked out in my parent's tent. I kept him busy and then he ran around with Asha and wore himself out."

Biandro had a wide grin on his lips.

"I know that smile. What's going on?" Erik quipped.

Biandro stroked his goatee.

"Monette's fiancé isn't coming. And from what I heard from my son, looks like there's trouble in paradise. I don't think she's really getting married. There's no ring, and when I asked about arrangements to have Ramon a week after his Spring Break when she's supposed to get hitched, she said don't worry about it, I could have him during the regular time. No woman gets married without her child being there. Especially when he's supposed to be the ring bearer."

Biandro slapped his hands together.

"Things working out for you then."

"Not quite. She's still not with me."

Biandro eyed Erik.

"What's up with you, cuz? Your face looked weird when you strolled by."

Biandro's hound dog eyes made Erik feel like he needed a trusted confidante. Blue was back in Texas. Caddo and Monroe would make fun of him, but Biandro was the one relative who never mercilessly teased Erik when it came to his women.

"You can't say nothing to nobody, man."

"I won't."

"I just asked Kris to break up with her boyfriend."

"Why?"

"So she could be with me."

Biandro's eyebrows shot up.

"Miss May's grandbaby?"

"Yeah."

"You into her like that?"

"Yeah."

"But you were into her cousin, Brandy…that's kinda—"

"Nigga, Brandy wasn't no real relationship. I'm not talking about getting with Kris for fun. I…I'm serious. I want to be with her—"

"A relationship?"

Erik nodded.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

"One woman? No harem?"

"I'm really serious about this."

"You were serious about Vanessa at one time too until your eyes started wandering."

"I wouldn't do that to Kris."

Biandro lifted his right hand and placed it on Erik's forehead.

"Nigga I'm not sick."

Erik slapped his hand away from his face.

Monroe and Caddo staggered over tipsy from beer and dark liquor.

"Private meeting?" Monroe slurred as he plopped his hand on Erik's shoulder.

"Erik asked Kris to drop her man for him," Biandro blurted out.

"Nigga, what?" Caddo shrieked.

Erik shoved Biandro in the chest.

"You said you would keep your fucking mouth shut!"

"This is too big to keep to myself," Biandro said chuckling.

"I knew it," Monroe said wagging his finger in Erik's face, "I seen how you was acting when Big Mike was rapping to her on the trail."

"What did she say?" Caddo pressed.

"You just went up to her face and said what? Bitch, drop your nicca?!" Monroe cackled.

"I'm tellin' Nana!" Caddo said bolting from their huddled group.

Erik lunged after him and grabbed his cousin's arm

"Don't say anything to anybody. I don't want people to know!"

"She turned you down, huh?" Caddo yelped shoving Erik's hands off of his shirt.

"I can't tell you niggas nothin' personal without all the jokes."

"Hold on! Hold on!" Monroe said.

He reached up and gripped Erik's shoulder.

"You really mean this? He ain't playing y'all. He gettin' all emotional and shit."

All three of his cousins stared at him and he watched each face lose their snide smiles and slowly become serious.

"Well…damn," Caddo said.

"It makes sense," Monroe said.

"Yep," Biandro agreed.

"Makes sense? How?" Erik asked.

"Y'all fit," Biandro said with conviction.

"And you spend half your time running around looking for her since we've been here," Caddo added.

"What did she say though?" Monroe said.

Erik shrugged.

"She didn't tell me anything. Just went to get her phone in the trailer and I left."

"What about her body language? Did she look like she was into the idea?"

"Nah. She got into it with her man on her phone and she was upset. Cried about it. She told me she was unhappy so I just took my shot. I'ma leave her be for now until she lets me know something."

"How long have you been…I mean…have you two been messing around or something?" Caddo asked.

"No. Kris ain't the messing around on her man type. She thinks Jordan walks on water."

"So what makes you think she'd want you?" Biandro said.

"She kissed me. Twice. After her argument. And it wasn't no platonic kisses either. She was putting it on me."

"Damn," Caddo said.

"So you just gonna sit in the cut and wait? Hang back and see what she does?" Monroe said.

"That's all I can do."

Monroe pulled out some five-dollar bills from his pocket.

"Yo, I got twenty dollars that says this nigga finna lose his damn mind and pester that girl in about two hours—"

"I say thirty minutes," Biandro said pulling out his wallet and fishing for cash.

"I have self-control. She has a lot going on with that clown. I told her how I felt and that's it."

"So while you're waiting, are you gonna be checking for women tonight?" Monroe said.

Erik watched him shake his shoulders in time to the live music that was kicking up over by the mini bandstand where serious dancing would be taking place the rest of the night.

"I can still look," Erik said rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, you'll be trying to hunch over some big booty gal soon enough," Caddo teased.

Caddo started sauntering away from them.

"Let's go see the sights then," Caddo called to the others.

Erik followed behind their eager steps toward the music.

###

Kris held her phone to her chest.

She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

I need a break from you.

The text went through and she waited for Jordan to respond.

Sitting in Erik's trailer at the small dining table, Kris stared at her phone screen. Jordan's avatar lit up with the picture of them together kissing and she swiped it.

"Explain that text."

Jordon's voice was gruff. She held the phone to her ear.

"I want to take a break…from us—"

"You're breaking up with me because I'm trying to find work?"

"You know that's not it—"

"You're giving up on me because I'm not there babying you?"

"Babying me? What the hell—"

"Don't do this, Kris. I can't do this without you. I can't."

She heard the quiver in his voice and she was glad he didn't hit her up on video chat.

"You chose to be there without me for a reason. You want to get yourself together. Do that. Get your job. We can talk about us at a later time."

"Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

The guilt dripped down into her spirit. She touched her lips. Traces of Erik's kiss still tingled her skin.

"I'm tired, Jordan."

"I'm tired of this situation too—"

"No, I'm tired of us."

"You don't love me anymore?"

"I love you. I just need this time to myself—"

"Are you seeing someone?"

"No!"

"Why would you leave me at a time like this?"

"I can't carry you anymore. I can't use up all my energy focused on you. I haven't written anything in months. I haven't taken time to see what I want to do for myself now that I'm out of school—"

"You're lying to me. None of that was a problem before when I was there. If you're seeing someone say that—"

"I'm not seeing anyone—"

"It's Erik, isn't it? That nigga has been on you since we got there. Your grandmother has been pushing him on you from day one-"

"It's not Erik. It's us. It's me…what I'm not doing for myself. I've done everything for you and you don't appreciate it. You don't make me feel like I'm making life decisions with you as a partner…as a team. I don't feel like myself anymore—"

"I don't understand what you're talking about! Not yourself? You're always yourself…Kris, I love you. Don't leave me…not now…please—"

"Jordan, it's just a break. A vacation from each other. Being separated is giving us space to recharge ourselves. We can come back together eventually, but I need to take some time off for me. I want to do this. I have to do this. It's not permanent."

"You're all I have."

"You're all I have too. We need this. Let me do this. Texas is a good place for me to get myself together."

Kris heard his voice crack. But Jordan gathered himself.

"I'll find a job, and as soon as I do, I'm flying you back to me."

Kris wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"You believe me, don't you?" he pleaded.

"I've believed in you since I first met you, Jordan. You've been my best friend. Not just my boyfriend."

"You can still believe in me and stay with me. I need you."

"I know…"

She sniffled again and wiped her nose.

"I have to go," she whispered.

"Don't…"

"Jordan—"

"Can you at least text me once a week? Let me know what you're doing…how you are?"

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"I have to go—"

"Okay…okay. I love you…Kris…I love you."

"I know. I'm going to my Granny now. Bye."

She swiped her phone and dropped it on the table. Covering her eyes, she wept for a full hour before gaining the strength to leave the trailer. Kris was hesitant to go back to the Stevens family camp because she thought Erik would be there, but she wanted to see her grandmother for comfort. The closer she came near the camp, the slower she walked until she stopped just shy of anyone seeing her.

Granny May would know right from jump that something was wrong with her. Her red puffy eyes. Swollen eyelids. Kris would probably start crying and then her business would be out in the streets. She did an about-face and wandered past people. She heard live music playing and an MC shouting out people and the names of horse clubs. Changing directions, she headed further away from a lot of the busier and more dense gatherings of people.

"Hey, pretty lady!"

Kris stopped near an older chestnut-colored man with salt and pepper in his thick hair and beard as he sat on a folding chair and strummed a guitar next to a middle-aged light-skinned man with a bald head and dark mustache. They were posted up next to a closed-down food truck.

"Uncle Kevmo," Kris said.

Granny May and Miss Rae had introduced Kris to the man the day before. He sold fried fish plates with coleslaw and hot pickles during the day and was a popular food choice among the campers. He was from Mississippi and had to be at least seventy, although he claimed to be much older. It was hard to tell around there. Many of the folks she thought were younger shocked her with their ages. Good Black didn't crack and often looked thoroughly moisturized throughout the camp.

"Have a seat," Uncle Kevmo said.

His left eye was a cloudy gray with glaucoma, but his right eye was sharp with a slight grayish-white ring around the lens.

"Brady, this is Miss May's granddaughter, Kris."

The bald man gave Kris a slight head nod as he tightened up a string on his guitar. Another older man took the only other open seat next to Brady as he sipped a drink from a red plastic cup.

"Nice to meet you," Kris said.

"I'm Moss," the new man said. He looked to be in his late thirties but his rich onyx skin could've been lying to her.

"Hi," she said.

"Enjoy the riding today? I saw you on that big horse," Uncle Kevmo said.

"I loved it. I'm a little sore," she said with a grin.

"Will you come back next year?" Brady said.

"Maybe. Depending on where I am next year."

Brady began to pluck out a soft tune and Uncle Kevmo nodded his shaggy head and joined him. Kris sat and listened to them play a few bluesy tunes and she felt the stress of breaking up with Jordan falling away from her. The wet heat of the summer night rested on her skin and she swatted a few flying itchy bugs from her legs.

"That sounds like a prison work song," Kris said as Brady hummed a moaning tune and tapped on the wood of the guitar.

"Railroad and old field hollers too. It originated as a slave chant down in South Carolina and parts of Georgia," Uncle Kevmo corrected.

Kris nodded and the older man plucked out the song in full and started singing to her.

"I be so glad when the sun goes down…I be so glad when the sun goes down…I ain't all that sleepy…but I wanna lie down…I ain't all that sleepy…but I wanna lie down…"

Kris tapped her hand on her thigh to help keep time with the beat of Brady thumping on his guitar as Uncle Kevmo crooned the haunting lyrics. His voice sounded like brittle memory dipped in sorrow. The ancestral moan of the other men singing the response to Uncle Kevmo's call gave Kris chills. She pulled out her phone and recorded them while singing along to the haunting music. When they started over, Uncle Kevmo let Kris lead the words and she surprised herself by learning the song so quickly.

"Ooh, she sounds so pretty with y'all following her."

A forty-ish light brown woman with a pretty gap in her front teeth leaned up against the food truck to watch them.

Kris relaxed into the words and asserted her vocals by not feeling shy around the men.

"No the silent drive was bold…he was down on me…no the silent drive was bold…he was down on me…"

Brady smiled at her as they closed out the final chorus.

"Your voice has some Louisiana in it," Brady said as he played another somber tune.

"Oh yeah? Some East Texas too then since I have family in both places."

"Yeah. If you go down one octave, we can hear the blend…sing it again and slow it down," he said thumping the side of his guitar with the bottom of his palm again.

Kris inhaled then went down a lower register. Uncle Kevmo hummed along with her but the rest of them did not do a call and response with her. They sat and listened to her vibe with the elder. She played with the lyrics, stretched vowels, slurred consonants, took it out of the miserable prison chain gangs and back-breaking slave fields, and brought it indoors by giving it a gospel flavor that made Brady shout punctuating "Ha's!" at the end of each song line as he slowed up his playing to match the churchy feel.

"Aye!" Uncle Kevmo blurted out.

He added his guitar to her voice by changing the downbeat into the blues and Kris didn't miss a beat by switching the tone of her voice and dropping the sanctity of church for the illicit speakeasy.

She got into it by making her voice as dramatic as possible, trying her best to channel all the raunchy blues women she knew of. She added some humming and slow moans with runs in between lines with a breathy flare to her vocals and Uncle Kevmo stopped playing and stared at her with his one good eye.

"Gal, how you change a work song into a booty call?"

"It was already in the lyrics! I didn't have to change anything!"

"I'm tellin' your Granny on you!"

"Wait a minute! The line says, 'I ain't all that sleepy…but I wanna lie down'. Now how you lay up in that bed and who's in it with you is up to interpretation."

Kris fell out laughing with Brady and she was startled to hear more voices laughing with them. She turned her head and saw a small crowd of people watching them.

Erik was part of the crowd.

Kris turned her face back toward Uncle Kevmo as some people clapped for them. Folks moved along after they stopped performing, but Erik sauntered over and stood near the woman by the food truck who lingered.

"Are you a singer?" Brady asked.

"No. I'm a historian…cultural geography…Black history."

"Teacher?" Uncle Kevmo said.

"Not yet. I just graduated with my Masters."

"You have a nice voice. Professional level," Moss said.

"Thank you. Church is my only experience with singing. But I love the old stuff. Especially these types of songs. J. Cole had a song out called G.O.M.D. –"

"Get off my dick," Brady said laughing.

"You know the song?"

"I listen to rap," Brady chuckled.

"There's a song with that name?" the woman asked.

"There's a lot of songs out with worse names, Melanie," Brady said.

"My God," Melanie said while sucking her teeth.

Kris leaned forward and continued talking.

"When I was in high school, we had to read August Wilson's Piano Lesson, and my teacher had us watch the old tv movie of it. The characters sang Berta Berta. I recognized that J. Cole had sampled that prison chant for G.O.M.D., and that was it. I had to look up the song and read about it. I fell in love with history. Black history."

"Oh yeah, Berta Berta," Uncle Kevmo said.

His fingers swiped the guitar strings and he softly sang the lyrics to the first two verses. Brady joined him in playing and singing.

"Oh Lord…Berta Berta…oh Lord gal, well now…"

They all stomped their feet in time with the music to simulate the pounding of hammers on railroad spikes. Kris opened her mouth and added her voice on the top note.

"…when you marry, marry a railroad man…"

The foot stomps came down harder kicking up a little dust around their seats. She let her voice drop to listen to the men, imagining Black men from long ago chained together in prison garments or lumped together laying down tracks to open up the west for white people. It drew a heavy feeling inside of her chest and her arms prickled with goosebumps thinking of the past. Brady ended the song with a gentle tap of his right foot with a somber grunt in his throat.

Kris glanced at their guitars.

"I like how you both play. The styles complement each other."

Brady tapped Uncle Kevmo's guitar.

"He has that Mississippi sound. I'm all Chicago."

Kris tried her best to ignore Erik as she talked to the men about the different styles of guitar playing in the north and south. She asked their permission to record them talking to her and Brady played his guitar again with a blistering Kansas City style that sounded like an actual train was coming down through the camp. It gave her chills and she looked over her shoulder a couple of times to see if a ghost train was rolling through. She clapped her heart out when he was done. They spoke about more railroad chants and Kris learned that Uncle Kevmo had been a mason and learned to play by ear as a child. The discussion moved to zydeco and Kris was fascinated by Brady's knowledge of it. He was a contractor who once worked and lived in New Orleans. He had fled during Hurricane Katrina to Houston, and Louisiana transplants who followed him there brought zydeco with them. The music had already been crossing the border before then, but the forced migration into Texas made the music root into the soil. It flourished.

When Kris finally turned the recorder off on her phone, over two and a half hours had gone by.

"I'm so sorry to keep you up this late," she said standing up.

"Ain't no time here, young lady. We'll be up longer," Uncle Kevmo said.

"Thank you for allowing me to hang out with you all."

"Thank you for sharing your voice," Brady said.

Kris finally turned her attention to Erik, but he was gone. He had moved on while she was chatting about trains, gandy dancers, and floodwaters. She was glad he had left. She wasn't ready to interact with him. Seeing him made thoughts of Jordan come rushing back and the good feelings she had marinated in for almost three hours nearly dissipated.

Kris headed back toward the Stevens camp with swirling thoughts of music moving with Black people throughout time. Field hollers becoming, prison chants. Chants birthing the blues. Blues reaching into itself like some pregnant nebula bursting with gospel, country, jazz, rhythm and blues. Soul music. Funk. Hip Hop. So much Black creativity with a bloodline reaching all the way back into brutal slave fields.

"My people, my people," she muttered to herself as she made the long walk back to her camp.

When she rounded a corner, she saw Vanessa heading her way with a group of women. Kris pulled out her phone and pretended to be caught up in a text as she passed them.

"Bitch."

Kris heard the jab tossed her way. She was sure it was Vanessa but she ignored it. She wasn't in the mood to deal with one of Erik's women.

The camp was quiet when she finally arrived.

Erik's father Etienne and Caddo's father were the only two people still up sitting outside in chairs. They smoked cigars and nodded at her as she approached.

"Night," she said walking past them.

She entered the tent that she shared with Selena and Asha.

"Hey stranger," Selena said.

She sat on her cot braiding her hair as Asha laid on her bed reading a book. Two camp lanterns illuminated the entire tent.

"I know. I feel like I've been gone from here forever."

"It's always like that when people come here for the first time. So much to do and see. Did you go dance?"

"No. I walked around and spent some time with Uncle Kevmo. He was playing music with a man named Brady."

"I'm sorry I missed that. They always play something good."

"I did an impromptu interview with them. Learned a lot about old songs and railroad stuff."

"Seems like you're getting a lot of material."

"I am."

Kris pulled off her clothes by her bedding and changed into a long t-shirt and loose shorts.

"Are you ready for the rodeo tomorrow?" she asked Asha.

"Yes. Mom is competing too."

"You are?" Kris said glancing over at Selena.

"Yeah. I haven't done it here in a long time and this year a lot of the family came. It's fun for them to see all of us compete."

"Who else is doing it?"

"All the guys… I think Portia is doing it, Chantel is doing it…"

Selena started a final braid and Asha put her book away and turned down the lamp on her side of the tent. Kris crawled into her sleeping bag and curled her hands under her head.

"I'm glad you came with us," Asha whispered across to her.

"I'm glad I came too."

"I know Uncle Erik is happy you're here."

The girl turned over in her sleeping bag and Kris felt her face grow hot. Selena grinned.

Sleep took its time coming to Kris. She tried not to toss and turn in her cot but Jordan haunted her pre-sleep.

Did she rush their break-up? Should she feel guilty for kissing Erik before doing that? Was she making a mistake?

Her eyes grew droopy and thoughts of trains running, chain gang chants, the sun going down, and Black people always moving finally took her away.

###

Kris sat on the layered grassy knoll next to Miss Rae, Pop Pop, and all of Erik's Aunts and Uncles. Miss Rae and Pop Pop sat in folding chairs while the others stood around relaxed and comfortable in the bright sun. The rodeo arena was reddish-brown rich earth surrounded by an old wooden fence. A small wooden tower was near the arena entrance where the rodeo announcer and organizers sat. On the front of the booth was a large electronic stop clock where the timed races would be tracked in bright red lights.

The crowd was buzzing with excitement and Kris couldn't help but admire how many good-looking men wandered about sipping beer and ogling other people too. She cursed herself for never going to trail rides with her Granny before. Brandy would've had a field day with her running around as teenagers being all boy crazy.

A female announcer did a bit of housekeeping letting folks know the schedule for the day, and then a young girl sang the national anthem. Another teenaged girl led everyone in singing the first two stanzas of the Black national anthem as a group of horse riders came into the arena carrying the American flag and a large Black Nationalist flag with the proud red, black, and green colors. When a small contingency of horse riders dressed as Buffalo Soldiers circled the arena, she heard Miss Rae mutter something negative under her voice as spectators clapped with pride.

"Rae, don't start," Pop Pop hissed under his breath to her.

"Granny, why is Miss Rae upset?" Kris whispered to her grandmother.

Granny Mae leaned over to Kris keeping her voice low.

"She doesn't like the Buffalo Soldiers. They helped kill and move her people."

Kris glanced over at Miss Rae and saw disgust and consternation on the woman's face. She looked away from the arena and caught Kris's eye. She gave her a warm smile, but Kris could see the dislike was bone-deep.

Kris had never thought of the Buffalo Soldiers as anything other than Black History Heroes, to be lauded and respected because of their contributions in shaping America. It struck her then that they were no different than all Black people in the military in the service of the country. Attack dogs. The bluntness of her thoughts made her think deeper at the irony. Black people used by white people like always. In that case, to help exterminate and round up bad Indians keeping the west from being free. What must it feel like to be Black and descended from Native Americans and seeing your darker kin cheering cosplay of Black men who ushered in their other family's demise? She pulled out her phone and used the note-taking app to jot down her thoughts about Miss Rae's feelings at that moment.

After all the pomp and circumstance, two men ran out into the arena and place what looked like six tall white bathroom plungers spaced apart in a straight line. All the competitors waited behind the closed fence near the tower with their horses and she watched some of them pin their rodeo numbers on their clothes. Her eyes went back to the inside of the arena where the poles sat waiting.

"They'll weave in and out of those poles," Pop Pop said when she tried to figure out what was about to happen.

Monroe's mother, Dayna passed her a soda, and Kris accepted it graciously.

"Here we go," Caddo Sr. said.

The first adult competitor rode hard, weaving his pretty palomino in between the poles until the horse kicked down the last two with its back legs. There was a collective groan from the audience when they knew the man would be deducted points despite the fast ride. Several riders went through. Some made it through without knocking down the poles, some didn't, and some horses refused to follow directions making everyone laugh and clap their support anyway.

"There's Caddo!" Dayna said.

Caddo whipped through with his horse Buster, an eager dapple-gray quarter horse. They were fast but Buster slowed down as they ran back toward the entry gate.

More riders went through and Kris stood up when Selena came charging in with her speckled tan baby, ChaCha. ChaCha was not there to play around and whipped through the poles like a champ.

"She's in the lead!" Miss Rae shouted holding her cell phone up to capture the action.

"There's Asha!" Pop Pop yelled.

The family shouted encouragement and the girl did well even though Tricky knocked over a pole.

Kris couldn't believe how fast the event was going.

"There's Big Man," Granny May said.

Kris's heart fluttered as she watched Erik take off. Big Man's powerful legs maneuvered his large body between the poles. He nicked one with his front left foot and Kris sucked in her breath watching it wobble, but luckily it didn't fall. The poles were at least eight feet apart, but Big Man was moving like lightning and cutting tight turns to get to the next pole. Erik took the lead as his body leaned forward to rush Big Man back to the entrance to stop the clock.

"Hey Hey!" Pop Pop yelled as everyone clapped.

"Selena is hot right now," her mother Lisa yelped.

"She'll get him in the barrel racing," Miss Rae affirmed.

Chantel rode fast and hard and came close to catching Selena's score with her speedy short-tailed brown saddlebred named Pinky. Biandro and Monroe did better than most, but not as good as Erik and Selena. One woman fell rounding the last pole, and she laughed so hard when she hit the ground. She was uninjured and the crowd still cheered for her. A man with a small fast white horse won the first event, beating Erik's score by three seconds. All of the Stevens clan did well and Kris could tell Pop Pop and Miss Rae had raised serious horse people. Especially the girls. Kris found herself cheering for the children the most out of all the participants. She found them brave for riding in front of so many people. She would've been terrified to be down there. All ages participated and Kris loved how amazing the women, in particular, were riding. A lot were better than the men.

Scores were tallied and winners road around the arena to collect their trophy's. Erik came in third and Selena nabbed fourth place. They both waved their trophies toward their family.

The poles were removed and three barrels were brought in their place and spaced in a pyramid formation. Everyone had to ride around the first two barrels that made the base and finish circling the top barrel before they could race back to the starting gate. If they knocked over a barrel, five seconds would be deducted from their time score. Kris stayed standing as she watched dirt get kicked up by hooves.

"Boy, where is your shirt?!" The male announcer called out over the PA system as Caddo whipped around the first barrel with Buster as the crowd laughed.

Caddo's chiseled chest had the women swooning as many flocked closer to the fence along with Kris to watch him ride. He did look sexy, and Kris wasn't shy about admiring his physique as he rode past.

"Bring it home!" Kris shouted at him.

Caddo had a good score but it wasn't fast enough to catch an older male rider who stunted on everyone. Selena took charge of everything as she swatted her hand on ChaCha's neck to coax her to go faster. Kris was in awe of the sharp turns Selena was able to make on her horse as they charged around each barrel. The last barrel had Selena almost sliding off her horse as she leaned her body too far over to help ChaCha gain momentum. She caught herself and Kris felt her heart in her throat fearing she would fall. The woman knew what she was doing and dug her heels into ChaCha's side and the horse shot down the arena like a rocket and the audience went wild. Kris could hear Miss Rae and Pop Pop all the way behind her shouting, "Take it home, baby!"

Selena rode so fast that her hat flew off.

Asha swept in soon after and rode like her Mama, rough, rugged, and raw. Being closer to the fence meant that Kris could see Erik closer as he waited for the announcer to signal that he could go. Big Man was antsy and she saw Erik trying to calm the horse to keep it ready. When he was given the word, Erik whistled and Big Man galloped like the devil was after him. Sharp turns on the first two barrels showed her that the Stevens family had a style of riding that took chances on cutting close on their turns. Whereas other riders sometimes made wide turns trying to avoid getting too close to knocking the barrels down, the Stevens clan went right up to them, even touching the barrels almost on purpose, daring them to topple over on them.

Erik rounded the final barrel and Kris shouted his name so loud with her hands clutched into tight fists urging him to go faster. He turned his head to the right and she thought he saw her because he flashed the biggest dimples as he flew past.

"There it is! Come on home!" the announcer shouted.

Erik came close to beating Selena's time, but his cousin kept her lead.

Kris touched the fence with her hands and exhaled. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face after watching Erik ride up close. The barrel racing was definitely her favorite event so far. She ran over to the entry gate to congratulate Selena on her win and her first-place trophy. Asha came in fourth place and Kris showed her love too. Erik grinned holding his second-place trophy on Big Man. They made eye contact and Erik gave her a head nod. She waved at him and looked back over toward Selena and Asha. Horses and riders prepared for the next event and Kris snapped pictures before heading back toward the spectators.

"Kris!"

Selena rode up to her.

"Yeah?" Kris said staring up at the woman.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Um, yeah. What do you need?"

"Can you do the next event with Erik?"

"What?"

"I can find someone, Selena," Erik said.

Erik's eyes darted around the crowd of riders surrounding them.

"She's not going to do it," Selena said.

"I'll just drop out of this one," Erik said.

"No, they don't have enough participants for this one. Kris…Daniela was supposed to do this with Erik but she chickened out."

"I can't ride—"

"You don't have to. Just stand on the barrel and when Erik rides by, you jump on Big Man and he brings you back to the gate."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?" Asha asked.

Kris felt like she was on the spot.

"I can find somebody else," Erik said still looking around.

"Get Vanessa," Monroe said.

There was teasing in Monroe's eyes and Erik rolled his eyes at his cousin.

"Why not? She's right over there. She's done it with you before," Monroe egged on.

Erik stared down at Kris.

"They need people, Erik," Selena pushed.

Monroe waved his hand.

"Dude, she's right over there, just ask her—"

"I'll do it," Kris said.

Erik studied her face.

"You sure?"

"I just stand on the barrel and climb on the back. Right?"

Her voice said the words but her knees were shaking. She didn't want to do it, afraid that she would fall or mess up his score.

"Yeah," he said.

"Where do I go?"

"Just stay near me and when it's time for us, you'll go out there and stand on the barrel…Kris you don't have to do it. You don't look like you want to—"

"I'm doing it."

She turned her head away and stood next to Big Man and Biandro who had Ramon with him. Monette stood next to them and placed a small protective half helmet on Ramon's head. When she looked over at Kris, she smiled.

"He's Asha's partner," she said.

Kris felt some encouragement. If two little kids could do it, her big ole age could do it too. Her breathing stayed normal as she watched. Selena partnered with Chantel and Kris watched how Chantel mounted ChaCha from the back. For each rider that went out, Kris studied how they moved. Some people hopped onto the horse while others took their time climbing on. She fretted about messing up on Erik and felt her stomach grow queasy as it drew closer and closer to their turn. Her hands sweated profusely.

"On deck," Erik said as they moved closer to the entrance but hung to the side leaving room for the horses to come flying out.

Willie Clay rode his white horse out to pick up one of his friends. Big Mike. That was the other man's name. Willie Clay had the speed and Big Mike swung his leg too hard throwing himself off balance. As Willie Clay used part of his reins to strike his horse to goad it to move faster, both men fell over and landed hard on the ground. The horse ran out of the arena while Willie Clay belly-laughed and helped Big Mike up. Both men ran out and Big Mike retrieved his horse from a buddy.

Kris looked up at Erik.

"You look like you're about to throw up," Erik said.

His eyes looked worried and then he glanced around. Kris thought he was scouting for Vanessa again. The PA system called out his number and Kris marched herself out into the arena. Her legs felt stiff as she headed for the barrel on the far end and her boots trampled down the soft earth. She lifted herself onto the barrel and turned her body to face Erik. She tried not to hyperventilate as she waited for that man to come storming toward her on that black beauty of a horse.

Kris parted her legs slightly and held her hands out by her hips. She heard the announcer give the signal and Erik led Big Man into tearing down the red-brown dirt as he charged forward. She ground her teeth together as Erik swung Big Man around the barrel. He reached out his left arm for her and Kris grabbed it, jumping onto the back of Big Man with a prayer lodged in her throat.

She sat up high on the rear edge of the saddle and wrapped her arms around Erik's waist. Pressing her cheek against his back, she held on for dear life as he sucked his teeth and jabbed his heels into the horse. She felt Big Man charge forward as her thighs squeezed tight. Her fingers clutched higher on Erik and the warmth in his chest bled into her skin. Her eyes could see the crowd and as Big Man went faster, she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Bring her home!"

People shouted and before she knew it, they were far past the entry gate. Kris opened her eyes and kept her arms tight around Erik.

"We did good, girl!"

Erik patted her hands, but she refused to let him go.

"Fifteen point seven seconds," he said.

She exhaled into his back.

Staying on the horse with him as they watched others do better and worse than them, Kris saw Vanessa staring over at them with her friends. Someone walked over and handed Kris her hat. She didn't notice that she lost it hopping onto Big Man.

They watched Asha charge down with Tricky and snatch up Ramon. They did very well too and Monette was hopping up and down with her cell phone next to Biandro. The last competitors got into position, two young men with great enthusiasm. One was lanky and the other more rotund. The horse they were using seemed agitated.

"Go!" shouted the announcer.

The young rotund fellow entered the arena fast, but the tan horse began bucking wildly in a manner so violent that it threw the rider off and trampled his leg. The crowd screamed and the man waiting on the barrel tried running to help his friend.

"Close the gate!" someone screamed as the horse continued to jump around quick with anger.

Erik reached behind him and tapped her thigh.

"Get down! Quick!" he shouted.

Kris scrambled down Big Man.

"Open it up!" Erik yelled.

She saw some men jumping into the arena trying to grab the injured man and stop the horse from running.

"Let it be! Let be!" The announcer shouted from the PA system.

An organizer opened the gate allowing Erik and Monroe to ride in with their horses, before shutting it again. Kris ran over and gripped the fence.

Erik ran Big Man alongside the wild horse as Monroe jumped off of his horse to help the young man who shouted with pain. He reached down and helped the man up with two other men, carrying him as fast as they could to the side where others helped slide him through the gap in the fence.

The bucking equine charged at the fence, hitting it, causing a shrieking crowd to scatter away from the enclosure. The wood wasn't that strong and another good kick or two could have the beast running into the audience. Erik forced Big Man near the horse again and Monroe's horse blocked Erik's cousin from getting trampled too.

Everyone watched Erik run the horse in a continuous circle until it ran out of steam and stopped near the lone barrel. The horse snorted and stomped its hooves and Big Man nudged its face against the other animal. Erik reached for the reins of the other horse, and when they were secure in his fingers, he slowly led the horse back toward the main gate as Monroe hopped back on his horse and flanked the horse's other side to sandwich it. It was calm by then and they were able to get it out of the arena safely.

Kris threw her hands against her cheek and sighed in relief. Others clapped.

She glanced over at the thrown rider and the man seemed much better. He was still in pain from being kicked and stepped on, but it didn't look like he broke anything. She walked over to Erik and Monroe.

"That was scary," she said.

"Yeah, that horse shouldn't have been doing this. You have to build a horse up the right way and I don't think ole boy had it too long. Mistake."

Kris moved closer and rubbed Big Man's side.

"Big Man handled him though," she said petting the horse gently.

Erik held his hand down toward her. She looked at it for a second before grabbing it. He hoisted her back onto his horse and she sat in front of him. He made room for her and his arms went around her as he adjusted the reins. She placed her hands on the saddle horn.

"You can watch the rest of the rodeo from up here," he said in her ear.


	24. Chuck Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and Kris come to terms with her new status as a single woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter!

"Shorty took a look in my eyes,

And said she heard I was a crazy guy  
I hit and run the Georgie Porgy type,  
You like to kiss the girls and make them cry.  
I told her don't believe the hype 'cause I'm cool  
Enough about me let's talk about you  
I want to get to know you and make you my boo  
It's all on you baby…"

Chuck Brown – "Chuck Baby"

She was a perfect fit.

Erik didn't have to move that much to make space for Kris on Big Man's saddle. Erik lifted her up and she threw that leg over like she had ridden all her life with him. She rested easy against his chest and remained there until the end of the rodeo. They kept the program short that year so people could have more time in camp before the big bonfire and dance party later that evening.

The rest of his family wandered over to congratulate them all and take family photos. Erik caught the sly glances of Nana Rae and Miss May when they saw Kris sitting on top of his horse with him. The two women snapped a ton of pictures of them together and showed them video clips of him riding out to grab her in competition. His own mother took pictures of them and the way they were all acting, Erik felt like he was back in high school taking prom pictures.

Everyone headed back over to the family hub and Erik rode with Kris past people and vendors. Monroe and Caddo rode alongside them with Asha and Selena in the back. His sister rode ahead of them and Erik felt comfort in being surrounded by his family. They were always so busy back in Texas, but to have them all with him in a different place where they could just relax and live…that was a blessing.

"Here, you control him," Erik said thrusting the reins in Kris's hands.

She took them and he felt her nervous intake of breath. He allowed his hands to rest on his sides.

"You got him," he said.

They both said hello to a few people they passed by and Erik felt like the cock of the walk when they rode by a few men that had Kris on their radar. He stared them down in a not-so-subtle way letting them know she was off-limits. One dude in particular, Lil Paul, was way too aggressive when he was around her. Caddo had let him know that the man was acting stalkerish when Kris was hanging around Daniela at a craft booth. Kris never mentioned any problems, but Caddo said it was obvious the man was sweating her hard.

Erik took the reins back when he saw Lil Paul sipping a beer with Otis as they sat on ATVs near an open pasture. He let his hands rest just under Kris's chest and against her stomach. The intimacy of his touch brought a cloud over Lil Paul's face. Erik gave the men a head nod just to rub it in more that Kris was with him.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"A little bit," she said.

He made Big Man stop near Otis and Lil Paul. A creole food truck was next to the men and Erik reached into his back pocket and pulled out some cash.

"Go get yourself something to eat," he said handing her the money.

"Big spender!" she said counting up the folded bills he gave her.

She turned her head to look at him.

"What would you like?" she said.

He almost kissed her.

The urge struck him because she was just so adorable staring at him. He thought of the expression on her face when he charged down the arena with Big Man, his eyes on the barrel as he circled it, his arm outstretched for her.

Fear.

Kris was so afraid and acted brave for him. Those big brown eyes were fraught with anxiety. She gripped his arm so tight and jumped so high that he didn't have to do much lifting to get her on his horse. He felt her heart thumping against his back with the softness of her breasts pressed into his muscles. She was a featherweight for Big Man and he could've gone faster with his horse, but he could feel the tension in her body and he pulled up on the reins right before they ran out of the entry gate to slow down before Kris's heart burst. They could've won that event but it wasn't worth frightening her more.

Her eyes were shiny and the dimple in her chin made him grin. If she were his woman, he would've had his lips all over hers. He practiced restraint and glanced over at the portable whiteboard that had the lunch specials posted in bright red and green lettering.

"Just get me the dirty rice plate with the fried oysters," he said.

"What kind of drink?"

"Iced tea."

He helped her down and watched her saunter past Otis and Lil Paul flashing his money in her hand.

"Hey Miss Lady," Lil Paul said scooting his ATV near the side of the food line.

Nigga.

Erik's lips poked out and his grip on the reins tightened. That fool clearly saw him signal that Kris was with him.

Kris turned her head and gave a gentle smile.

"Hey," she said turning her body toward the line.

"I like how you jumped on that horse," Lil Paul said.

Lil Paul's voice was loud enough for Erik to hear. Otis sat on his ATV with a smug look on his face. Erik and Otis may have tussled over women with their years-long frenemy status, but Otis wasn't six foot five and nearly two hundred and fifty pounds of country muscle like Lil Paul.

"Oh yeah? Well, that was all Erik. He made it easy."

She moved up in the line.

"That your man?" Lil Paul said showing too many big predatory teeth.

"Erik? No."

"You got a man?"

"No."

Otis glanced over at him and pursed his lips in a sneer that made Erik want to punch him in his throat. Why was she talking to them? Fuck.

Kris made it to the window and placed their order and Lil Paul waited for her to step to the side. She took change from the server and walked back over to him ignoring Lil Paul and Otis.

"Here," she said handing him his change.

"Keep it."

She stood next to Big Man and pulled out her cell phone.

"Why you gotta talk to them?"

"Being polite," she muttered with her eyes on her cell screen.

"They aren't the ones to be friendly with. I told you what they want—"

"Erik, they are your problem, not mine. I'm grown. I can handle myself. Besides, didn't you say you wanted me too?"

She still wouldn't look at him, but he saw a grin on her face.

"You told him you don't have a man. That true?"

Her eyes rested on his then.

"I broke up with Jordan yesterday. It's a break. I'm going to work on myself in Texas, and he'll work on himself in California."

"It's temporary?"

"We're not together now. That's it."

"Is it because of what I told you?"

"It wasn't just what you said. Please, I don't want to talk about him, Erik."

"Okay. I'm just getting some clarification."

"For what?"

She had a smirk on her face.

"I'm just understanding your status."

"I'm not jumping into another relationship. Jordan thinks you're the cause of us being on the outs, but that's not true. I need some alone time. I'm looking out for me—"

"Two dirty rice plates with oysters, and two ice teas!"

A server yelled out their food order and Kris went to pick it up. He hoped she would get their lunch and ignore the men, but Otis stopped her.

"If you're still collecting interviews, there's a man that has ghost stories you might want to hear. He's from South Carolina and his wife is from Jamaica and she knows some wild ones too. Probably stuff you ain't never heard," Otis said.

"Heck yeah! What's his name and where can I find him?"

"You talking about Dobie?" Lil Paul said.

"Yeah."

"That's my cousin."

"That ain't your cousin—"

"Yeah, he is. His Mama and my Mama are second cousins. And his wife ain't Jamaican, she's from Trinidad…Pam. We know all them stories. They're posted up over by the music stage. The big blue and white RV with the faded deer on it. He's a real heavy-set dude, so he just sits around chillin' and talking. Can't miss him. I can take you over there and introduce you."

Kris looked at Erik.

"I have to eat with my friends now. Maybe later? I'll head over there when I have some time."

"Cool. Have a good rest of the day then," Lil Paul said while rubbing his hands together.

Kris left the two men and they drove off on their ATVs.

"What?" Kris said.

Erik swallowed hard and took the bag of food and canned lemonades from her hand. She stuck her right foot in the stirrup and he helped her back up. She took the food back from him as he adjusted the reins and made Big Man move.

"Nothing," he grumbled.

"I'm not interested in them if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm not worried about who you may be interested in—"

"Yes, you are. Sitting up here like a big ole baby just because I was talking to them."

"No, I wasn't—"

"Lips all pushed out and your eyebrows all jumpy—"

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"I told you about them. Watch your back."

"I'm a big girl."

"You're a mouse."

She smacked his left thigh.

"Ow, girl!"

He leaned in closer to her and she rested easy in his chest once more while holding their food. Erik took Big Man into the pasture to let him urinate and drop horse manure. After the animal relieved himself, they meandered around other horses, ATVs, small buggies pulled by horses, dirt bikes, and people cooking or buying food. They stopped for grilled white corn in the husk from another food vendor and Erik had a feeling Kris was enjoying riding with him. He took a long way around toward their camp.

Back at the hub, Erik's family settled their horses before chowing down scattered throughout their area. Kris sat with Selena, Erik, and Monroe next to Big Man who rested up near a shade tree swishing his tail and chomping on tender grass shoots with Sunshine. Asha and Ramon ran around with corn dogs and chips and Erik noticed Monette talking to Nana Rae, Granny May, and Biandro's mother Marvella.

Erik dug into his food and his appetite had him grubbing down hard. The rodeo tested his physical prowess and Kris tested his mental acuity. All he could ponder was her being single. Free. As he ate, Erik watched her chat with Marvella and Monette. Biandro's great love was beautiful and more talkative than usual with Kris. He felt for his cousin. Carrying a torch for that woman for eight years had to be soul-draining. He felt a punch in the gut when Kris dismissed him to Lil Paul, but to have unrequited love annually was hard to watch. Erik was surprised Biandro didn't turn into Hades and ride up on Monette like she was Persephone in some ancient Greco Roman myth and snatch her away to Texas with his son. He sat and listened to the women talk about the rodeo and the food while he tucked into his oysters and bit into warm sweet corn.

Erik's family drifted into two factions after meals were eaten: the nappers and the strollers.

The older relatives climbed into RVs and tents to sleep away the heavy rich foods they ate, and the younger ones walked away or rode away on their horses to socialize and perhaps eat more food. Miss May stood up and reached for a heavy clear plastic tub that Kris helped her with.

"Let me get that," he said lifting the large tub.

"Thank you, Erik. I'm heading over to my booth, time for me to mind the store," Miss May said.

Nana Rae rose up from her chair also.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

Erik followed the three women past their Mariscal friends who had their camp set up across from them. There was a short amount of chatting and then they were on their way again. The stopping and starting continued for another thirty minutes as the two older women caught up with other older women and men. By the time they reached their destination, Erik was ready to take a nap himself.

He watched Kris help Miss May put out her protective oils and blessing waters next to the other similar items on the table. There were other women sitting inside the tent way behind the two long booth tables sewing. Their eyes watched Erik closely.

"I don't have much left to sell this year and it's only the second day. Next year I may have to bring double the amount," Miss May said as she sat on a cheap lawn chair.

Nana Rae took a seat on a folding chair right next to her. He watched a young woman and another young man approach the table and speak to another older woman with short gray hair who sat behind the first table. Miss May glanced at the other products on the table.

"Looks like we're all selling out of supplies. That's good," she said.

Kris stood near the young couple and interacted with them. He heard her explain the difference between two different types of spiritual cleaners for homes and work. The gray-haired woman behind the table sat back and let Kris do the work. She had a subtle smile on her face. The couple bought three things and Kris handed the money to the woman who made the change.

"Thank you for helping us carry things, Erik," Miss May said.

"No problem."

He lingered in front of them and his grandmother raised a hand to her eyes shielding them from the bright sunlight.

"What do you have planned to do now?" Nana Rae asked.

Erik glanced over at Kris then back at his grandmother.

"Nothing really. Just chilling for a bit. I'ma take Big Man and Sunshine out for a walk in a little bit. Some folks are going to ride the trail again. I might do that."

Kris eyed him then.

The gray-haired woman stood up and joined the other women in the back of the large open tent who were busy adding batting between the quilt layers they were putting together. Kris sat in the woman's place.

"You're working?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'll be here for a couple of hours helping out…hey, how are y'all doing?"

Kris looked around him at some women who approached the table shyly taking in the display. Erik stepped to the side.

"Are you the one that told Zenobia she was pregnant?"

A milky light-skinned woman with thick blonde cornrows and yellow glass beads in her hair that looked to be in her early twenties stared at Kris. Erik glanced over at Kris's face. She folded her hands on the table and leaned forward. Miss May worked her knitting needles and busied herself with sharing gossip with his grandmother. Erik stayed put.

Kris nodded instead of speaking.

"We heard you can predict the future," the other lighter darker-haired young woman said.

The beaded hair woman stepped closer to the table.

"Do you need some help with something?" Kris said.

Erik felt a chill on his neck. Her voice took on that timbre as it did before when she told Caddo about the curse on them. The beaded hair woman's lip trembled and her eyes grew watery. She wiped her left eye with her hand and Kris stood up. Miss May stopped knitting and observed her granddaughter.

"I'm having a hard time finding work and my family is struggling. I need something to help me…they said you know how to do that. Babydoll said you're gifted…"

More tears spilled down the woman's face and her friend patted her back. Kris looked down at the table. She fingered a few bottles and labeled glad bags filled with sea salts and dried flowers.

"Here, use this…and this…"

Kris handed the woman a half-gallon bag of pink salts and purple dried herbs and a small green bottle. She dipped her hand inside a small marked box of tea light candles.

"Bathe in this salt three times a week. You only need to pour in two tablespoons with your bathwater. This oil is concentrated. Drop a teaspoon in a bucket of hot water and wash down your floors and walls with it. Start from the back of your home and work your way to the front door. If you have carpeted floors, sprinkle a few drops on it. The bath salts will clean your body of negative energy and the cleansing oil will welcome good fortune into your home. When you finish cleaning, burn this green candle and this white candle. The green is to attract money and the white candle draws it to you."

"It's called 'Good Fortune'," the woman said with a shy smile as she looked over the orange label on the bottle.

"Use the oil twice a week in your house. Clean the windows, windowsills, and ceilings too. The bottle looks small but I promise, this amount will last you at least two months."

The woman stared at the price stickers on the bottle and bag. She glanced at her friend and her smile faded. She dug into a small brown change purse that only had a few one-dollar bills in it.

Erik reached into his back pocket.

"Here," he said, handing Kris two more wadded up twenty-dollar bills, "give her friend the same thing."

The women stared at him.

"Thank you," the beaded hair girl whispered.

Kris reached under the table and brought out a thin brown plastic bag. She placed the salts, bottles, and candles inside the bag. She handed them to the woman.

"God bless," Kris said.

The beaded hair girl shoved the few bills she had into Erik's hand and the two women lumbered away. Erik moved closer to the table.

"That was kind of you," Kris said.

"She'll pay it forward."

Miss May went back to knitting and his grandmother proceeded to gossip.

"Zenobia's pregnant?" he asked.

"You sound pressed. Don't worry, it's not yours."

"Girl…please. Don't be saying that around my grandmother," he said moving to her right side and away from the older women.

Kris stayed standing as people passed by glancing over at the table.

"She's early. First trimester."

"How can you do that? I mean…how does it work? Do you get scared sometimes?"

"I just feel things. Since I was little. Everyone has intuition or that little voice that warns them about stuff—"

"Nah, what you got is different."

"It's similar."

He shook his head. She tapped her right index finger on the table gently.

"I can smell things, or feel energy, or hear things…it's not just one thing. It's more wholistic…"

She paused and he watched her face.

"Sorry. No one ever really asks me about how I do this. I'm just used to doing it with Granny. Jordan didn't care to know about it so…"

Her eyes darted down to her index finger and she stopped tapping the table nervously. She closed her eyes and then looked at him again.

"I don't know how to explain it. I just know how to read people. When they talk to me it opens up my ability to see them better. Then I just figure out what herbal remedy they need to open themselves up to good things. I think a lot more Black people have this ability, but they ignore it—"

"It probably scares them."

"It used to scare me. Until Granny started teaching me how to use it. Lineage is so important. All these women have their own way of using their gifts passed on from their family. The real power is in faith. Honestly, it's all African folk medicine that we hold onto and care for because it saved us so many times back in the day. It's grounded in home remedies and natural healing and keeping close to our ancestors. Aligning energy-"

"Chakras and stuff, right?"

Her eyes darted away from his again and he found it charming that she would act so shy talking about herself. She could expound on history and geography and all sorts of topics without batting an eye, but when it came to her personal life, she turned timid. Bashful.

"How does the rest of your family feel about what you do?"

"My Mom used to…she…she was good at it. But she turned away from it when she married my Dad. I wish she would've stayed with it. It might have helped with her…"

Kris put her hand on her hip.

"My mom has mental health issues—"

"I'm sorry—"

"Oh no, it's not some tragic story. She has treatment for it and it was hard for a few years when she was being diagnosed. It feels good to talk about it now without feeling ashamed. It's why I was sent to Granny a lot when I was little. My Dad didn't want me and my brothers to see episodes or her manic states when she had them. She's better now. I think turning away from this life hindered her for years. I couldn't talk to anyone about it. No one wants to be known as the kid with an unstable mother. Jordan helped me deal with her a lot when she had episodes-"

Kris pressed her right hand against her chest and turned to her grandmother suddenly.

"I'll be right back. Bathroom," she blurted out.

Erik watched her walk around the table and head in the direction where portable restrooms were set up. Her right hand covered her face and Erik could tell she was crying.

He left the booth and followed behind Kris a discreet distance. She walked past the rows of recently replaced portable toilets and headed toward a circular grouping of trees away from people and horses. When she was beyond the eyes of others, she darted behind a large sweetgum tree. Erik approached quietly. He could hear her weeping.

"Kris."

She was squatted down with her back pressed against the trunk with her hands covering her face. At the sound of his voice, she looked up at him with puffy eyes. He squatted down next to her and rested against the bark too.

"I want to be by myself," she choked out.

"Okay."

He pushed up on his heels but Kris dropped her face against his shoulder. He shifted his legs so that his backside was on the ground. His long legs stretched out before him and he threw his left arm around her.

"I broke up with him…but why does it hurt this bad?"

"It's still fresh."

Kris lifted her head from his body and sat upright against the tree.

"I don't want him anymore but just saying his name…thinking of him…I'm supposed to feel better without a bad relationship, right? Maybe I made a mistake-"

"You didn't make a mistake."

"Talking about my mother just made me remember how Jordan helped me deal with her. He was my support system. I won't have that anymore."

"You can find others to help you—"

"Not like him. He got me through the really rough parts. Having a mom like that…I felt like a motherless child for a long time until she began treatment. I had to grow up and figure out stuff on my own…especially girl stuff."

"Like what?"

"You don't want to hear this—"

"I do. Talk to me. I'm here to listen."

She cocked her head to the side.

"When I got my first period—"

"Good day," he said pretending to stand up.

Her eyes grew big and she relaxed when he chuckled and sat back against the tree once more.

"Tell me," he encouraged.

"I got my period when I was eleven and I tried to tell my Mom. She was having these zone out moments where she would sit on her bed and just stare out of her window for hours. I was bleeding through my pants and crying, not understanding what was happening to me…I asked her for help and she just waved me away. I stuffed toilet paper in my panties and never told anyone else. I thought I was dying. I hid my soiled clothes and no one knew what was happening. I flooded the toilet trying to flush all the tissue down at once. I was scared to throw it in the trash can because I was embarrassed. Ashamed to have blood coming out of my privates. For three months I endured my cycles like that until my father noticed I was running out of clothes to wear. They found all my ruined pants wadded up in my closet. When my breasts grew before the rest of me, I stole bras from Target because my Mom was mentally not there and my Dad got caught up caring for her. I was with my Aunt while she shopped and I was stuffing bras under my shirt. She caught me and paid for them. I had all the wrong sizes and she helped me pick out the right ones. My brothers grew pubes, boners, and deep voices, but I was ignored and had no one at home to explain what was happening to my body. Granny May had to teach me stuff my parents should've done."

Her eyes latched onto his.

"I didn't know how to deal with boys wanting to feel me up because my tits were grown before I was. I felt like I was always flailing behind girls my age because I didn't know anything and my body was bringing too much negative attention my way. I had developed before sex ed classes. Brandy started spending summers with me after I turned thirteen. She filled in all the gaps I missed. Helped steer me away from grown-ass men when I was thinking I was mature enough to handle sex. When I met Jordan…he made me feel like less of a weirdo. Less awkward. I could talk to him…be myself—"

She burst into tears again and Erik didn't know what to say to her to make the pain disappear. He rubbed her shoulder and waited.

"I'm going to miss that the most. Talking about whatever."

"Talk to me."

"It's not the same."

"Talking is talking. You need someone to listen to you. I can do that. This hurt is temporary. It's hitting like a bitch now because it's new. Give it a week and I promise, the pain goes away."

"Easy for you to say. You drop women every other week."

"Not true."

"I can name four women here, all the way in North Carolina who you dumped—"

"Messing around with people and breaking up with a girlfriend are not the same thing. Vanessa is the only girlfriend I've broken up with in two years. The only one. Every other woman I have been with hasn't been in a serious relationship with me. Not a single woman here outside of Vanessa can say I broke up with them. When me and Vanessa fell off, I did feel bad, especially when I told her we would never be a couple again."

"She'll keep trying to get you back."

"I can't help that."

Erik tilted his head on the bark.

"The girl before Vanessa…my ex Latrice, I broke up with her and I was messed up for a few days. We didn't get along the way a couple should and I felt shitty about dumping her, but I had to. I didn't want to cheat on her or fake like I was happy with how things were going. It sucks for all parties involved."

"It doesn't bother you to have a reputation for going through women?"

"I don't go through women—"

"You do—"

"Define going through."

"Being with so many people."

"Is there some safe arbitrary number I'm supposed to have before it becomes a problem for people?"

"No—"

"And people lie all the time. You know how many women pretend they've been with me just to have some stupid status. Like 'Yeah, I bagged that nigga'. Women do it just like men."

Kris hugged her arms around her waist. Her eyes gazed out onto the open field of tall grass and fallen snag trees.

"I'm alone for the first time since I was eighteen. I think that's what's upsetting me the most. I'm scared and excited at the same time and I don't think I can move forward until I fully process that. It's just me out here. I can do anything that I want. Just me. I don't even have a plan for my life…not a real one. It was always me and him. I have to start all over and figure out what I want all by myself."

"Do what makes you happy."

They sat together in solitude and when he felt his cell alarm vibrate in his pocket, Erik stood up and brushed dirt from his backside.

"I gotta walk Big Man and Sunshine," he said.

Kris stood and wiped off her jeans.

"Thanks for checking on me."

Her eyes were bright and cheery looking again. Erik wanted to stay with her, but he knew she needed space to work through her feelings. He walked away and left Kris by herself.

###

Kris spent two hours with her grandmother and Miss Rae before she was free to goof off. She sold every single item her grandmother made. A few customers wanted her to read cards for them, but she learned quickly that she would be stuck doing that and not enjoying the people around her so she declined anymore tarot card requests. The older women under the tent sewed and shared stories and herbal recipes and Kris jotted down notes in her phone. Her best learning came from listening and she concentrated on the power the women had in manifesting their gifts while comparing remedies and proper prayers. Kris could hear the pride in Granny May's voice as Kris was brought into a few conversations. She thought the women were testing her skills and many were curious about her using tarot cards and implementing crystals. She could feel the energy among them reaching out to her, caressing her spirit, welcoming her into the fold as an open vessel.

She ended up working an extra hour just so she could absorb the different ways hoodoo women from across the country were adapting to the modern world. Many of the elders were concerned with the younger generation losing touch with the intimacy of the work by moving it online while being poked and prodded by Wiccan groups and white women moving into the hoodoo realm. Granny May was incensed with how white people had turned voodoo into a gimmick with online shops selling dolls, donuts, and fake goods aimed at people gullible enough to see the religion as a prop to be bought and sold for money.

The general consensus was to protect hoodoo from outsiders before it went the way of their voodoo cousins. Kris kept her mouth shut. It would be hard to explain to grown-ass Black women with a collective base of knowledge that spanned over four hundred years that all things were fluid and transformed with each generation, and that cultural retentions only happened if they spread out into the world freely where their people could connect to it. There was an ebb and flow to the transmission of knowledge and Kris knew that moving their work to the digital age could help preserve it and introduce it to younger Black people who may recognize their lineage and place in the work. Kris knew of a few online spaces that were created just for Black people interested in hoodoo. The fear was commercializing. Watering it down. That was a sign of disrespect. Granny May and her circle wanted to keep hoodoo close to its African roots and away from non-Black hands. There was talk of the ancestors being disappointed with how hoodoo was being diluted by grifters.

Kris added more notes to her phone before she left the tent.

Wandering the campsite, she sought out Daniela and Tamu and found them snacking on pork ribs and mustard greens near a food vendor. She ate with them and wandered further into spots she had missed and met new people. By six that evening she finally walked over to find Lil Paul's cousin. He was right where Lil Paul said he would be. Dobie was a dark cinnamon man who overflowed in his seat. He had a double chin and jovial light brown eyes and his gorgeous medium brown wife Pam was just as large and just as friendly with her thick Trini accent.

Kris sat with her cell recorder on, and she was regaled with stories about old Geechee tree hopping hags, flying Trinidadian soucouyants who loved drinking the blood of sleeping babies and were terrified of salt or rice being thrown at them. Pam shared other tales of tiny child-like beings called douens who lured human children away by disguising their voices and wore their feet backward. There was also La Diablesse, a beautiful woman who lured wayward men to their doom late at night even though she had cow hooves under her dress because the devil turned her into a seductive demon.

Bloody Mary.

The Boogey Man.

Voodoo Queens and ebony witches.

Bloody bones.

Southern gothic horror at its finest.

Kris was deep into learning more about ghostly hellhounds that bayed at the moon bringing on death behind them when she saw Erik ride by on Big Man. Monroe and Caddo were with him on their horses and all three of them wore brand new matching royal purple t-shirts with the words 'Mariscal Mustangs' emblazoned on the front in shiny silver lettering with a bucking Mustang. Fitted in fresh-pressed dark jeans, fancy boots, and decked out with their cowboy hats, Kris couldn't help but stare at all three men. They were deep in conversation and didn't notice her at all.

Breaking out of interview mode, she observed that a lot of people looked gussied up with horse club shirts showing out for their state. Thanking Dobie and Pam for their storytime, Kris gathered her belongings. Her cell vibrated and she saw a text from Daniela to meet her and the other women at the dance party that was ready to start within an hour. She still needed to shower and change into fresh clothes herself. She followed far behind Erik and his cousins until she broke away to get to the tent that she shared with Selena and Asha.

"Hey girl," Selena said.

Kris watched her fluff out her hair.

"Why can't we go?"

Asha sat on her cot next to Ramon. Her voice was whiney with hints of pouty energy.

"Grown folks time," Selena said pulling on a pair of short dark suede boots.

"We got to dance earlier," Ramon quipped.

"That was for everyone. This night dancing is going to have grown folks doing grown folks things."

"Not fair, we know the dances too" Asha grumbled.

"Do we let you go to TLS?"

"No."

"Why?"

"You have to be twenty-one to get in."

"This is TLS—"

"But it's outside."

"You'll have fun here with your grandma and Uncle Scott."

Kris grabbed what she was going to wear and her toiletry bag and a towel.

"Good luck. You may have to wait a while. Everyone is using the showers. There's a line," Selena said.

Kris sat on her unmade cot.

"I should've left the booth earlier," Kris said.

"Go to Erik's trailer. They got ready over there an hour ago. No one else wants to walk over there so there's an open shower."

Kris stuffed her clothes and boots into a plastic grocery bag and left the tent. She made her way to Erik's trailer and admired how dressed up people were as they headed to the big dance. It made her giddy and feel like she was going to a big cowboy ball.

"Hey, Miss Lady."

Lil Paul cozied up next to her as he headed in the same direction as her.

"I talked to your cousin. Thanks for hooking me up! I enjoyed myself."

Lil Paul gave her a big grin and when she reached Erik's trailer, he lagged back away from her. Two men joined him from the opposite direction and Kris admired how good they all looked with their North Carolina horse club shirts that were long-sleeved and bright red.

"Sable Strutters, huh?" Kris said reading their shirts.

Lil Paul stroked his cheek.

"You know, all this good chocolate skin," he joked.

"This where you stay?"

A slender man with sunburned sienna skin and a crispy line up stared at her. Kris eyed him with suspicion. His voice was pleasant but his eyes weren't. She felt his eyes rake up and down her figure and she held her bag of clothes and toiletries closer to her body.

"She's a Stevens," the other man said. His light round face was cheery.

"Hey, hey!"

More dressed-up men wearing bright colored horse club shirts rounded their way giving loud greetings. Kris quickly punched in the door code and stepped into the trailer.

"Anyone here?" she called out.

Empty.

Moving to the back of the trailer she heard the movement of the horses housed in the back for the night.

"Hey, Sunshine…Big Man…Buster."

Kris slid the bathroom door closed and took a fast warm water shower. She scrubbed down with her loofa and allowed her hair to get a little wet. Dressing quickly, she rubbed herself with her oils and combed unscented hair butter through her hair with her fingers. Once she had enough corkscrew curls, she tied her hair up with a thick leather hair tie so that her afro puff looked like a crown on her head.

"Finally. Perfection on the first try," she mumbled inserting big hoops in her ears and one silver dragon ear cuff on her left ear.

Staring at her face in the fogged-up mirror that she kept wiping with a hand towel, Kris decided not to wear foundation. Dancing was just sweating and she didn't want to get make-up stains on her new Mariscal Mustang shirt that Erik's mother gave her. The Stevens women had a women's form-fitting scoop neck version of the purple and silver shirts and the open skin around her neck allowed Kris to wear a silver charm necklace choker. She fingered the tiny dangling stars on the choker and felt pretty. Eyeliner, a light touch of eyebrow brushing with gold coloring, and a thick coating of raisin matte lipstick made Kris feel even prettier.

Stuffing her feet into her boots, Kris took one last look at herself in the mirror before she collected her discarded clothing into the plastic bag she brought with her. She locked up the trailer and walked back to the hub where she dumped her stuff in Selena's tent.

Erik's Uncles and Aunts who planned to go dancing were already heading over and Kris tagged along feeling empowered to be among such a strong family. Her cell vibrated and she texted Daniela that she was on her way.

The music was thumping so loud and Kris couldn't get over how many people were line dancing and cutting up. Hundreds were on beat together and she stood with Portia and Selena watching with excited eyes.

"Kris!"

Daniela stepped next to her and tapped Kris's shoulder. Tamu and Cynthia were with her, and within minutes, Regine and Zenobia joined them with two more women that Kris didn't know. They all wore cute pink t-shirts with sparkly lettering that said "Squad Goals"

Erik's mother and Selena jumped into the fray of dancing with the other Stevens family members. Kris followed her new crew to another spot that was hectic with young men and women throwing down. The mini-stage had a live DJ and a live band. Bright stage lights and a few multi-colored spinning disco lights gave everything a massive house party feel. The MC was a handsome dark-skinned cowboy hunk with a booming voice and a big hat that matched his larger than life personality. His voice sounded like good whiskey and Newports as he spoke over the lead female singer in playful banter with the huge audience. Kris's skin tingled with all the energy that came her way from so many happy Black people partying. Plastic cups in hand, dancers sipped liquor and strutted their best moves.

"I see y'all showing out. Tennessee in the house! Detroit! Florida! Chi-Town! California! We got the Ebony Horsemen in the house! The Non-Stop Riderz! The Outlaws! The Creole Strutters!"

The MC listed more riding clubs as the curvy short-haired singer kept the song going.

"All my big girls, can you back it up? Lemme see ya try and back it up! Big girls…back it up…big girls back it up! Lemme see my skinny girls back it up…skinny girls back it up!" the singer crooned encouraging women of all sizes to shake their hips and make denim-clad booty cheeks jiggle.

Kris admired how the dancers broke out of the line dance moves and stepped in time to their own regional styles. She shook her own hips.

"Here girl," Daniela said pulling out a small bottle of top-shelf whiskey.

Tamu passed out small red plastic cups and all the women were given a healthy share to drink. Kris downed the whiskey fast so that she could relax a little more and tamper down all the overstimulation she was experiencing. The band drove the music hard and the crowd started wobbling in all kinds of styles.

"Ah Sookie Sookie now, we got the Mariscal Mustangs showing out up here!" The MC shouted.

Daniela led them closer to the stage and Kris endured the pressing of bodies and flying sweat and passionate foot stepping as they beelined to see the Stevens men. Their purple and silver shirts caught her eye and they stood back to watch Caddo, Biandro, Monroe, and Erik cut up.

Dancing in sync, the men held cups of liquor and were lost in their own groove. Another group of men with bright canary yellow shirts danced near them and Kris saw that it was Willie Clay and his crew. Women surrounded them wiggling rumps and high stepping like their lives depended on it and Kris loved every moment. Especially the way the Stevens cousins threw their arms out as they danced.

A new song blasted from the speakers and the roar from the crowd made Kris snap her fingers.

"Get into it!" Tamu shouted.

Kris recognized the song, but she wasn't familiar with the way the North Carolina version of the line dance went. It took her a minute to catch on, and she jumped into the crowd next to Daniela and Cynthia. Daniela paused for a moment to refill Kris's grown-up sippy cup, and the liquor eased Kris into not being self-conscious. She spun to the left when everyone else did and caught Erik's eye.

"Aye, Tinker Bell!" he shouted to her.

Her nerves kicked up and she prayed she didn't get off beat with Erik watching and dancing near her. She stepped back and felt a strong hand on her back. Glancing behind her she saw Monroe. He guided her into a spot where she had room for herself with so many big bodies around her smaller frame.

"I see you, Kris!" Monroe said.

Her cheeks grew warm and she darted her eyes away from Monroe.

The MC came back onto the mic and talked over the beat in a syrupy drawl that made the women get all fluttery with the eyelashes.

"Psst!"

Kris glanced to her right and saw Willie Clay waving her over. Erik and Caddo were next to him on the side of the stage. She wandered over feeling comfortable with Erik and Caddo there. Willie Clay glanced around and his boys blocked them all from view.

"This that good shit," Willie Clay bragged.

He pulled out a large unmarked glass bottle. The clear liquid inside looked deceptively regular. Cups were raised up and Willie Clay gave a little bit to everyone.

"Aye, not so much for her," Erik said pushing the bottle up from Kris's cup.

"I didn't give her enough," Willie Clay said tipping the bottle again.

"Nah," Erik said.

He pushed back on the bottle and gave Willie Clay a look that made the man chill.

"I want what you guys are getting," Kris said.

"Rose of Sharon is potent," Monroe said.

"She can handle it—"

"Size makes a difference," Monroe said.

Kris watched the men drink the moonshine and she took a small sip. It heated up her mouth fast but it also tasted faintly of juicy fruit gum. She swallowed and her eyes watered, but it went down smooth to her. Erik's eyes watched her face.

"You good?" he asked.

She held her cup back up to Willie Clay.

"I want the full amount," she said.

Willie Clay poured it for her and she sashayed away from them. Nursing the moonshine, she joined back up with Daniela and the bunch and they danced to the music. Kris sipped easy and the Rose of Sharon got her lifted fast. It was a different type of buzz that made her feel floaty and loving toward the women who treated her like a long-lost sister.

Feeling good, the music coursed through her and made her blood grow hot in her veins. Her legs grew loose and she stopped worrying about people watching her dance or keeping up with what everyone else was doing.

"Oh shit!" she yelped when the familiar percussion of go-go beats rang out.

The band started playing "Chuck Baby" and Kris grew excited that the dense crowd started the dance. Memories of D.C. and house parties and college pop-ups drowning in go-go music made her go in hard on the steps. She was in her element and the women surrounding her joined in her joy of moving freely.

She sang out the song lyrics and held up her cup. From the corner of her eye, she saw Erik turning it out behind a woman who was grinning hard and glancing back at him in a flirty way. Kris rolled her eyes and focused on the beats until Lil Paul positioned himself next to her right side.

"Get it!" he shouted.

Kris grinned and took another taste of her moonshine and twisted her hips as she spun in time with the beat adding an extra shake to let people know D.C. was in the mix. Crossing her legs with extra sass, her body bumped into Erik and he stepped away from her to give her space. She chugged down the last of the moonshine in front of him as she started doing the dance in the opposite direction across from him.

"Uh oh, Kris getting' funky!" Caddo yelled.

Kris wasn't shy about showing out now. The Rose of Sharon had her scalp and skin vibrating, and the go-go music made her feel at home. Filled with bold energy she faced back in the same direction as Erik, and since her cup was empty, she was able to fling her arms any way she pleased. Shaking her ass, she crowded Erik on purpose just to see what he would do, but he didn't back away. He stepped to her and she could feel his body heat as he towered over her. His hand touched her hip to guide her closer to him and Kris fell into place. When her eyes took a sly glance behind her, she saw his eyes focused on her backside wiggling.

She couldn't believe she was dancing with him with such fluidity. No left feet. No going in the wrong direction. The band kept the go-go sound but the line dancing broke up into people partying hard. Some began to step and Erik reached out and clasped her hand in his. Instead of begging off, Kris gave in and followed his lead in the two-stepping. He seemed impressed and each time she turned her eyes away from him to check on where Daniela and the others were, the closer he moved against her. Part of it wasn't all him. More people were packing in to dance and when she felt his hands slide around her waist to pull her against him, she went willingly. His hands went up and down her lower back and she stayed with him for a long time.

"You can go dance with other people," she finally said after twenty minutes went by and he was still with her.

"I want to dance with you."

"Waiting for me to mess up?"

"Nah. You swinging tonight for sure."

His words made her feel even more confident.

"Stop hogging up all of her attention," Daniela said grabbing Kris's arm.

Kris thought she saw a shimmer of disappointment in Erik's eyes as she scampered off with the women.

The night was glorious and Kris danced her heart out. Occasionally she saw Erik as she moved among the sea of revelers. It almost felt like he was following her, but that might've been her imagination. By the time it was midnight she had slowed down her dancing. Distracted by Lil Paul trying to introduce her to one of his female friends, Kris lost track of Daniela and Tamu. She broke away from Lil Paul's company and walked around the edge of the dancers to try and find her people.

"Psst."

Willie Clay held up a half bottle of moonshine as he stood near his friends watching women dance. Her tongue rolled on the back of her front teeth as she gripped the same empty red cup she had in her hand that had been filled with beer a few minutes earlier. She sauntered over to Willie Clay and he cackled a bit as he poured her a sizeable amount of moonshine. He poured himself some too and they tapped cups.

Kris swallowed it all down and smacked her lips even as the Rose of Sharon went down her throat like a giant fireball.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Willie Clay asked.

Her eyes blurred for a moment and she pulled out her cell phone.

"Let's take a picture," she said.

Before she could snap the photo, a rush of cool air sat above the crown of her head and the sights and sounds of people intensified.

"Hey…"

Erik's voice made her blink and his form loomed in front of her.

"Look at me," Erik said.

Kris grinned and stared up at his face.

"Stay here. I'ma get you some water. Don't give her any more of that stuff, man."

Erik walked away from her and Kris fiddled with her phone. She couldn't get the flash to work.

"My battery is dying. Need to charge my phone," she said.

Shoving the cell in her pocket, Kris stumbled away from Willie Clay, her mind set on walking back into camp.

The crown of her head was full of pressure and her thoughts raced. Halfway through her journey, she stopped walking and tried to figure out where she was. She recognized one of the shutdown food trucks and continued on her way.

Footsteps startled her when she reached Erik's trailer. Kris punched in the code on the door but it wouldn't open. Her eyes darted around trying to pinpoint where the footsteps were coming from. It was dark and the trees blocked most of the moonlight near the trailer. Her fingers flew over the touchpad again, but the code didn't work and she realized she forgot what the code was. The numbers floated in her brain but she couldn't get the order correct. The shadows around her seemed to grow and Kris took off running when the footsteps sounded like more than one person.

"Fuck," she gasped under her breath.

She ran into the open field.

Kris couldn't see anyone because the moonlight blinded her night vision. She heard the thumping of the music faraway and she drew comfort knowing that there were people around. Just not where she was. A wide tree stump drew her attention and she went to it and plopped down when her legs grew weak. The racing thoughts continued in her head, heightened by the moonshine and the scary stories Dobie and Pam told her. The presence she felt by the trailer returned and she saw a figure approach her. She exhaled with deep gratitude when she saw it was Erik.

She bolted up from the stump so happy to see him.

"I told you to stay put. Why are you over here?" he asked.

The buzzing in her brain reached a crescendo the moment Erik stood in front of her holding two bottles of water. She reached up toward his face with her right hand but she froze when she saw a bright milky white aura floating above him. It mixed in with another pinkish-red pulsing light that surrounded his head and shoulders like wafting smoke tendrils curling toward her.

Kris took a step back from him as she grew dizzier.

Erik's eyes in the moonlight were the last things she saw before she fainted.


	25. Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and Kris end the trail ride weekend in a different place from where they started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

"Listen to my heart speak  
Bathe in the warmth of the morning sun  
Morning sun, morning sun  
I wait for you  
I wait for you  
Hmm  
Bathe in the warmth of the morning sun  
Morning sun, morning sun  
My earth"

Me'Shell N'Degeocello— "Earth"

"Aye not so much for her."

Erik tilted the bottle of moonshine back and watched Kris take her first taste of the hard stuff. She tried to act like she was one of the boys but she weighed no more than a buck twenty and by his calculations, her body mass couldn't take a full dose of that fire.

Her little ass sauntered away like she was all that and he kept an eye on her. She cut up with her new girlfriends and he watched her dance from afar. She began to get real loose in the waist after she bumped into him, so he decided to stay with her. Whatever stiffness she had working at TLS and doing the staff dances disappeared. The moment she jumped in front of him and Erik saw those hips swaying and those breasts jiggling, he stuck to her like red beans on rice.

The crush of bodies surrounding them gave him an excuse to press close to her. His hands held onto her waist until Daniela strong-armed Kris away.

"Is she your cousin or what?"

"What?" Erik said letting his eyes wander across the crowd. He lost track of Kris.

The man asking the question was a seedy-looking rodent-faced hustler with a vulpine smile. Erik didn't like him at all. The skinny man was always hovering near Willie Clay and a group of other men who lurked in the background.

"Kris."

Sheldon. That was his name. A creeper.

"She ain't for you, son," Erik said glaring at the man hard.

"You Mustangs can't take all the good women. That ain't fair," Sheldon joked.

The man tried to have humor in his voice, but Erik wasn't feeling the predatory tone.

"Leave that one alone, bruh. My man ain't stutter," Willie Clay said as he twisted the cap back on his fat-bottomed moonshine bottle.

Sheldon sucked his teeth and Erik tilted his head to warn him of boundaries. From his periphery, he saw Vanessa and a man from The Outlaws horse club dancing and he didn't want a run-in. He left Willie Clay and Sheldon and made a beeline to buy some beer and stay clear.

Erik danced with numerous women and got his grind on with a long-waisted girl who threw her ass back on him. He was all game for it until he thought that Kris might wander by and see him. He had put himself out there like he was saving himself for her and he didn't want her to think different just because he was having some sexy fun with another woman. Erik released his grip on the woman's wide hips and gave her a sly smile as he backed away to a more respectable distance. It was difficult work. North Carolina had some of the finest full-figured women dancing about that night and he was easily led astray by the thunderous music, strong liquor, and heavy asses against his crotch contact.

He gave up dancing when two other women started wiggling behind him and thrusting their bodies against him. It was too tempting and his slight buzz made him susceptible to indiscreet shenanigans. He wanted Kris. He didn't need stand-ins or poor substitutes.

He swaggered his way back over toward Willie Clay and his eyes took in Kris holding another cup in her hand. As he approached her, he saw Sheldon gazing at her with open lust. Kris's eyes were glassy and her stance was a bit wobbly.

"Look at me," he told her.

Her face turned up toward his and he immediately knew she was done for the night. It irked him that Willie Clay would continue juicing her up with a wolf standing right next to him. Sheldon egged on the behavior with his eyes stuck on Kris's tits.

Turning away to purchase water for her, Erik knew she needed to go lay down before she got sick or tripped out. Rose of Sharon had properties that brought out the reckless in newbies. He paid three dollars for cold water and hurried back to Kris.

"Where is she?"

Willie Clay stood alone near the stage where Erik left him. Only one other drunk man stood with him staring at the crowd.

"I don't know. She tried to take our picture but something was wrong with her phone. She walked that way."

Willie Clay pointed behind him but his index finger shook and the direction was questionable.

"Don't worry man, she was fine—"

"No, she wasn't."

Erik scanned the dancers and looked for movement away from the crowd.

"Sheldon and Bryant went that way too," the other man next to Willie Clay said.

Erik pushed away from them heading toward the camp. If her phone was low on power, she would go to his trailer. In her drunken state, she might've gone to his parent's hub, but he didn't want to take a chance and miss her. Especially if two sharks were swimming after her.

"Why can't you listen to anybody?" he muttered under his breath.

Erik found himself jogging and then running once he was away from the line dancing. Clutching the water bottles tight in each hand, he sprinted past tents and RV campers until he rounded a group of tied sleeping horses in the darkest part of his camping area.

He saw Sheldon and Bryant walking near his trailer. Kris ran ahead of them into the field. The two men moved faster in her direction. Erik dropped the water and rushed upon both men, shoving Sheldon back against his trailer. Snatching up his t-shirt, he pushed his fists into the man's chest.

"What the fuck did you do?!"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Sheldon shouted.

Bryant grabbed on Erik's arm.

"Back up!" Bryant yelled.

Erik shook him off and gripped Sheldon's jaw squeezing it hard.

"Why the fuck are you following her?"

Erik's face was nearly chin-to-chin with the wide-eyed punk.

"We weren't following her!"

"Then why you back here? You're not set up near me. Ain't nobody around here and she's running!"

Bryant's right fist struck Erik's face. Releasing Sheldon, Erik charged Bryant and let the man have all the smoke he could take. He rained down body blows on the man's stomach and on his side making sure his kidneys got rattled by hard targeted punches. Bryant bitched out quickly throwing up his hands in defeat and defense. Sheldon jumped on Erik from the back, doing his best to hold Erik's arms tight. Erik slammed him against the trailer again and he heard Sheldon gasp like he had lost a lung. The man fell onto his backside and Erik gathered himself up before he went too far with thoughts of kicking Sheldon in the face.

Bryant gripped Sheldon's left arm and lifted his friend up.

"Let him go!" Erik shouted.

"…crazy man…"

"…fucker…"

The two men stumbled away and Erik caught his breath to settle the adrenaline hyping him up more. He shook his stinging knuckles. Picking up the water bottles, he jogged over to where Kris ran. She sat on a tree stump with wild eyes.

Jumping up after she heard his voice, her right hand reached up, and then she collapsed in front of him. Dropping the water bottles again, he got down on his knees and checked her head. Her crumpled body didn't look injured. There was no blood present and her afro puff seemed to protect her head against the soft grass that cushioned her fall.

"Told your little ass…" he grumbled.

Erik lifted her gently and held her against his body.

Her breathing was soft and easy as her head rested against his chest. The moonlight illuminated her face and Erik couldn't help himself. He kissed her forehead. Allowing his lips to linger there, he closed his eyes and took in her scent. That oil he loved on her made him feel calm.

"Tried to hang and fell out," he chuckled.

Erik carried her back to his trailer. He punched in his code with his right index finger and brought her inside carefully. Placing her on the couch he went to his sleeping area and grabbed a pillow for her. He turned on some lights and positioned her body in a more comfortable position with the extra cushioning. Her head began to rock back and forth and her eyes fluttered under her lids. He thought she was having a seizure but she began to mumble words and her right hand rose up to touch her forehead. He sat down next to her.

"Kris?"

Those big brown eyes came into focus on his face.

"Erik?"

"Yeah. I found you out in the field. You were supposed to wait for me. You needed water. Remember?"

"My phone."

Her hand reached into her back pocket. He took it from her.

"Your phone is fine. You passed out…fainted."

Kris closed her eyes and her long lashes made her face soft and serene.

"I'm not drunk."

"Yeah, you are. That Rose of Sharon knocked you on your ass—"

"No…"

She tried to sit up but Erik pushed her back down.

"Rest. No one else is coming back here tonight. Sleep it off."

"I'm all dirty…sweaty… and the guys sleep here—"

"Did you listen to me? Monroe and Caddo are hooked up for the night. Chill."

Erik checked her head again.

"You have any cuts anywhere? Anything hurt?" he asked.

"No. I'm fine…"

Her eyes looked at his hands.

"Why are your knuckles like that?"

"A little conversation I had with some guys following you."

"I heard someone, but I couldn't see anything—"

"I saw you running. Sheldon and Bryant were here. They say something to you? Do anything?"

"I just heard footsteps and ran. I was spooked—"

"You sure?"

"What did you do?"

"Conversate."

She touched his right knuckle.

"That hurt?" she whispered.

"Barely feel it."

He stood up and washed his hands in the kitchen sink. Dipping into the small fridge he pulled out a fresh water bottle.

"Drink up," he said twisting the lid off for her.

Kris drank the entire bottle as Erik watched her.

"More?"

"No. That was enough. Thank you," she said.

Erik took the empty bottle from her and tossed it in the recycle bag resting near the fridge.

"I should go to Selena's—"

"You're not in any shape to be walking through camp again."

"I feel gross."

Erik helped her up and made her follow him to the bathroom. He pulled out one of his thick t-shirts.

"Take a shower and change into this. It'll be a long-ass nightgown on you."

Kris took the shirt from him. Her eyes glanced around the bathroom. Erik grabbed a fresh towel and washcloth from his closet shelf.

"Here."

She took the items from him and he left her alone as he slid the bathroom door shut. Stepping outside the trailer, Erik looked around for any more trouble from Sheldon and Bryant. Things were quiet. He walked to the back of the trailer to check on the horses and they were fine.

Back inside the trailer he grabbed the pillow from the couch and took it to his bedroom area. He went back to his kitchen and heated water in a saucepan. She walked out of the bathroom with her clothes and boots bundled in front of her. His over-sized t-shirt hung to her knees. She had loosened the afro puff and her hair hung like a disheveled bouquet of curls around her head.

"You can sleep in my bed. I'll sleep out here."

She hesitated.

"I'm not drunk," she said.

"You were looking messed up—"

"I was overstimulated…the moonshine was making me feel…"

She pressed her lips together suddenly.

"No shame in passing out," he said.

"I can sleep out here," she said staring at the couch.

"I'm not letting a woman sleep on a hard couch when I have a soft bed available. Go on. Get comfortable. The sheets are fresh, I changed them today. Text Selena and let her know you're good. Tell her you're crashing with Daniela or something."

She moved past him and he checked on the water. Pulling a mug from a cupboard, he fixed her some chamomile tea. He put a little honey in it and carried the mug to her.

"Put your stuff in that little drawer. It's empty," he said.

She placed her boots next to the bed and stuck her bundle of clothes where he said to put them. She sat on the end of the bed and folded her hands on her lap.

"Here."

He handed her the mug.

"Thank you."

She blew on it first then let the aroma drift into her nose. She closed her eyes as she sniffed it more then took a small sip.

"Get some sleep. If you want, we can go riding in the morning."

She nodded and he stepped out of the space to go shower and get comfortable himself. Since none of the guys were coming back, he would sleep on the hideaway bed.

Erik took a longer shower than usual and when he dried off, he kicked himself for not grabbing his basketball shorts from his bedroom. He slipped into a fresh pair of gray boxer briefs and kept it moving. Brushing his teeth, he flossed, then gargled with mouth wash before sauntering to bed. He turned off the lights in the main part of the trailer and put his phone on vibrate. Flopping onto the hideaway, he allowed his body to relax. He flexed his fingers on both hands and wondered how shit would go down the next day when he was sure to run into Sheldon and Bryant again. He honestly thought he would have one North Carolina trip where he wasn't beating someone's ass, but sure enough, he found himself fighting yet again. For a woman.

He chuckled to himself. Nothing ever changed.

Erik heard a thump and then some loud noises coming from his bedroom.

"You alright in there?" he called out.

The light was still on in his room, but Kris didn't answer. He could still hear thumping sounds. He padded over to the steps and climbed up to his space. She was trying to close the drawer again.

"Lemme do it," he said.

She sat back on the bed and he fiddled with the drawer.

"Something's stuck in the back," he said.

He pulled the drawer all the way out and ran his hand behind it.

"A sock," he said holding up a bundled pair of white socks.

He tossed the clean socks on top of her folded jeans and t-shirt and pushed the drawer back into place. It closed smoothly. She glanced at his underwear but said nothing.

"You want any more tea?"

"No thank you."

He sat next to her on his bed. Her eyes seemed out of it still.

"You sure you're okay? Sheldon and them—"

"I'm fine. Just…thoughts are all in my head. Today was a lot for me. We'll be going back to Texas soon and I'm figuring out how to…proceed."

"I hope you had fun here."

"I did. Despite my personal problems."

Erik reached on the side of his bed and snatched his shorts.

"I should've grabbed these before I took a shower," he said.

He held them in his lap to cover his underwear. Kris giggled.

"I've seen the boxers already," she teased.

Her phone vibrated near her boots. It was plugged into the wall charger.

"You want to check that?" he asked.

"No. It's just…him. I've ignored him since we last spoke."

Her eyes flitted across his nude chest and she looked away quickly focusing on her hands. The phone buzzed once more then stopped. He stretched his legs out.

"When I saw you the field…before you fainted…you looked at me weird."

"I did?"

"Yeah. You had your hand up like you were about to touch my head, but then you fell out."

"Hmmm. I don't remember that—"

"You saw something."

"I think I was just happy to see you."

"Happy?" he grinned.

"It was dark. It felt like someone was after me and I just knew some boogeyman or Bloody Mary was going to jump out."

"That's the moonshine working you over, girl."

"I was scared, and then you were there…saving me."

"Stay put next time and I wouldn't have to run after you."

"You ran after me?"

"Looking for you."

Kris gave him the sweetest smile and that dimpled chin of hers had him feeling good about having her there with him. Safe.

Alone.

Her left hand reached over and touched his right knuckle.

"My protector," she whispered.

Erik became very aware of her wearing his shirt. And nothing else.

Not true.

She had a thin gold anklet on her left leg. Her toenails were painted a soft powder blue with flecks of gold in them. His eyes dragged up her frame and rested on her breasts and he did his absolute best not to stare. It was a losing battle because she looked so sexy in the material and her chest heaved a bit as she stared right back at his pecs. Her left hand slid up his arm and drifted past his neck to find a home at the top of his head where she stroked his scalp. His eyes squeezed shut and a soft moan released from his mouth.

"Thank you," she said.

He peered at her with hooded lids.

"Just be where I tell you to be next time."

She nodded at him.

Erik touched her hand on his head and let his fingers slide down her arm until they rested around her waist. He pulled her in closer and dropped his head down closer to her face.

"I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Ever."

She rested her forehead against his forcing him to close his eyes.

"When we get back to Texas, if you need anything…tell me. Okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

"If you need money…or want to talk…or need time off from work…let me know."

"I will."

"Anything, Kris…"

He let his lips rest on her left ear and she squirmed when the warmth from his breath touched her there.

"Anything…" he sighed.

Her lips sought out his and he felt woozy from her kisses. His larger mouth asserted a bit more dominance as he let his right hand seek out her cheek to hold her head still. Her tongue curled around his and he let her suck on it before he returned the same energy slipping his right hand under his t-shirt she wore and inching it up her belly. She gasped and released his tongue when she felt his hand squeeze a heavy breast. Kris tilted her head back and the shine in her eyes revealed pleasure at his touch. His thumb stroked her small nipple and it hardened. Her breath hitched when he placed his mouth on her neck and sucked gently as he fondled her other breast. The space in his crotch grew tight as his dick thickened.

Erik pulled back and pushed the shirt up so he could look at what he caressed.

"Damn. I've been wanting to see these titties again…"

Kris's eyes narrowed and he stopped touching her.

"Again?" she said.

Her body arched back from him.

"It was an accident. When you had the bad high. Your tank top got bunched up when you fell asleep against me. I woke up before you did and…I saw them. I fixed your top though…"

He couldn't look away from her face. If he did, he would break the spell of being there with her like that.

"It happened and I'm glad it did because I've been dreaming about touching you like this for weeks since I saw them. I ain't about to apologize for liking what you got."

She crinkled her nose and he felt his erection grow.

He had to go for it.

"Take this off so I can see you."

He tugged on the hem of the t-shirt that had fallen down covering her body. Her hands crept to her lap and he held his breath. She crossed her arms across herself and lifted the t-shirt all the way off. He helped her get it around her hair and dropped it on the bed next to her.

"Damn…Kris…"

Her arms crossed her chest and her face had a bashful expression on it. He reached down and yanked off his boxer briefs. If she were naked it was only fair that he be stripped down too. Her eyes caught the bobbing of his length as his manhood hung heavy before her. Her lips parted as she stared at his dick.

Erik took both of his hands and palmed her breasts. He lifted and dropped them just to enjoy the heft in his hands before he pushed them together and massaged their soft weighty mass. His dick jumped as he admired those huge areolas in full view. Erik's eyes drifted down to look at her close-shaved pussy and her brown inner lips were wide open showing him wet pink that throbbed at his touches on her titties. He pulled her closer to him so that their hips touched. He wrapped his left hand around her so that he could grip and fondle her left breast while he eased the fingers of his right hand down between her legs. He touched her clit first, admiring how it was hidden under the hood even though it plumped up at his tight circles around it.

"Open your legs," he demanded.

Kris did as he told her and widened her thighs.

His thick fingers seemed so large as he played in her folds. When she started panting, he grew bold and dipped his index finger inside her opening a few inches. He added his middle finger and pumped in and out slowly.

"So tight…" he whispered.

She rested against his strong arm and felt the dual pleasure of his left hand teasing her breast and his right hand fingering her as her wetness coated him. His dick bobbed and grew fatter and her eyes watched it. She licked her lips a few times and squeezed her eyes shut when he pinched her clit. He pushed his tongue down her throat and their deep kisses had her humming in his mouth.

Erik continued giving her soft deliberate strokes along her folds and loving touches against her clit that seemed to match the size of her small nipples. The yellowish light in his bedroom made her skin look like light brown sugar contrasted with the dark reddish-brown of her areolas. He enjoyed holding her, kissing her, squeezing her breast, and playing in her pussy. Kris panted more and her glassy eyes held his.

"Feel good?" he asked.

"Hunnhhh…..hunhhhh…hunnhhh…."

Her continued pants mixed in with long whimpers made his balls grow tight. He kissed the top of her forehead and darted his tongue in her ear and that made her squirm and release a glistening stream of natural lubricant from her opening. Erik felt his forehead crease as his lips poked out watching her pussy jump and her slit grow wetter. Lowering his head, he enveloped her right nipple in his mouth and rolled his tongue around it. Her moans made him groan aloud and he bit around her areola just to imprint the moment in his brain forever. Her rapid breathing made him release his teeth from grazing across both breasts. Chest heaving, sweat pouring down her face, and forming a light sheen across her neck, Erik felt her reaching the edge of what she could endure with him trying to stimulate every part of her body at one time.

He held her tight against him and maintained his grip on her breast while his index and middle finger teased her clit with zigzags and hard taps to shock her senses.

"Why you so fuckin' fine like this, girl? Huh? Make me wanna do this to you all night."

Kris pressed her eyelids together and bit her bottom lip tight.

"Got this big dick ready…wish I could stretch you out, girl. You don't know how many times I've stroked my dick thinking about you…"

She gasped and Erik held her tighter, forcing her to be still and take his fingering good and slow.

"Had me at home jerking off…wishing you were in my bed…riding my dick—"

"Erik!"

Her eyes popped open when he sank his fingers deep into her pussy.

"Can this tight little pussy handle my dick? Huh? I wanna train your pussy for this dick…"

He bit her nipple before sucking on it, matching the speed of his dominating fingers. He tried fitting as much of her breast inside his mouth as he could before returned to her lips. His kisses grew rough then. He was turned all the way on by her and he hadn't even tasted her pussy yet.

"Will you let me train your pussy?"

"Oh...fuck!"

Her backside wiggled and she tried to close her legs.

"Keep 'em open!"

He slapped her thigh hard and she complied with a quickness even as her body trembled from his fingers torturing her pussy. He lifted her right leg and let it hang over his thigh.

"I'ma give you your first lesson. This is my pussy."

Her head dropped forward and her lips twisted in agony. He nibbled on her earlobe and licked his tongue along her neck and down to her breasts again. Her walls were so snug around his fingers.

"Fuck I can't believe that nigga left all this behind!" he groaned out loud.

She threw her head back and Erik stared at her face.

"You're so pretty…I like watching you…especially like this…"

He kissed her once more before he glanced down at her slick puffy folds. He put pressure on her clit again as pre-cum bubbled out on his tip as it rested against her. A long string of it fell from his slit and landed on Kris's thigh. Her body was on fire and Erik stroked her clit a little harder and a little faster. She was about to break. He could see it in her watery eyes.

"Yeah, I'ma train you real good," he hissed.

Her pussy was swollen, tight, and wide open.

"Pussy ready for this dick. Look at it…all fat. Can I fit all this in there?"

"Yeah!"

"Tell me…"

"Your dick can fit in my pussy!" she shouted.

He laughed at her. The frustration in her voice was palpable. He wanted to drag it out as long as possible just so he could watch her face contort. He could bust a hot load just watching her face look so sensual as he manipulated her body. She was sexy and downright adorable with the way she panted and moved her plump lips. He still couldn't believe that he had run away from her instead of scooping her up sooner the first time he saw her back at the Mariscal fair.

"Say it again."

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she turned her head away from him.

"Look at me!"

Her head whipped back toward him as she arched her back. Her big breasts hung there waiting for his tongue and his teeth.

"Say it…lemme hear you say it—"

"Your dick…in my pussy…"

He felt the weight of his length hanging between his legs and oh so ready to plunge into her slick core.

Her back arched again and her legs shot out and he watched her gold anklet dangle from her slender ankle. The royal gold chips that glinted from her toes made him smile and when he stared at her face again, her eyes were wide and she clutched at his arm that moved at her apex.

Two loud squeals fell from her lips as her mouth flew open and her body grew stiff. He watched her throat and tongue move with no sound coming out. Erik kept the tips of his fingers rotating on her clit until Kris began to spasm in his arms with guttural whimpers piercing his ears. She had a full body orgasm with her nails digging into his skin. Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly until she grew limp in his arms. It was the most beautiful experience of a woman cumming that he had ever witnessed.

When her release tapered off into tiny shudders, he watched tears roll from the corners of her eyes. He pulled her onto his lap and cradled her with gentle rocking motions.

"Hey…you okay?"

Erik thought guilt had overwhelmed her. Maybe she was thinking of Jordan. Maybe it was too soon for him to touch her in that way. He didn't want to hurt her or make her feel bad about what she had let him do.

"Kris? You alright? Talk to me…"

She wiped her eyes and he stroked her hair. Pressing her face against his neck he felt the heat of her tears drip down his skin.

"What is it?" he pleaded.

She whispered something into his neck and he gently pulled her face away from his body.

"What did you say?"

The strain in his voice made her finally look him in the eye.

"That was my first orgasm," she whispered.

Her voice was soft and floaty like a tiny butterfly in his ear.

"For real?"

She nodded and he saw her face begin to crumble with shame and she hid her face from him.

"Aye, it's all good…Kris…c'mon now…"

He nudged her hand away from her eyes.

Some women were easily orgasmic. Some women faked orgasms with terrible partners. Sadly, a large percentage didn't have them at all.

Erik felt a twist of anger build a home in his belly. Only a selfish man didn't please a woman. That anger flared out toward Jordan. All that Kris had to give a partner willingly with her physical charms and that asshole couldn't give her pleasure? His face contorted with more anger and he saw Kris shrink back from it.

"I'm sorry…" she uttered with embarrassment in her voice.

"You ain't got nothing to be sorry about. Jordan does."

He kissed her lips gently then wiped away the last of her tears. He tapped her chin and rubbed his nose against hers making her grin.

"I'm proud to be the man to give you your first."

Her body gave a late shudder and she touched her throat and gave a long exhale.

"How do you feel now?" he asked.

"Good. That was intense. I used to have little tremors and I thought that's what an orgasm was…but…fuck…I was so wrong!"

Her eyes were full of arousal. Big brown pools of desire lived there at that moment.

He lifted her from his lap and moved her further onto his bed.

"I want you to play with yourself. Give yourself an orgasm on your own," he said.

"I've never been able to do that," she said.

Her eyes were shy with him and she crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall with a pillow as a cushion.

"Why do you think you came with me?"

She shrugged.

"Did I do anything different compared to Jordan?"

He couldn't help throw in a dig. Knowing that he made Kris cum and Jordan didn't gave him perverse satisfaction.

"You were slower…gentle…you talked me through it…made me say things."

"Then you do the same thing. Touch yourself…slowly…talk to me if you need to."

He pulled her hands away from her breasts.

"Don't hide from me."

He lifted her breasts and fondled them until her thighs fell open on their own.

"Touch yourself," he whispered.

He climbed all the way on the bed and positioned himself at her feet and on his side. Kris dropped her right hand between her legs.

"Open your pussy, let me see it."

Her eyes shut and he saw her opening jump from the sound of his voice. She used three fingers to rub herself and then she spread her folds for him. Erik gripped his dick and slowly stroked it back to a full erection.

"Them big ass titties get me hard so fast," he encouraged.

Her mouth went lax and her free hand lifted up a breast for him.

"Suck on that titty for me," he demanded.

Her lips wrapped around her own nipple and she sucked and teased it with her teeth forcing him to beat his meat faster. Her fingers twirled around her clit and he heard her groan with a mouth full of her areola.

"You so nasty. Showing me your pussy like that."

Her legs lifted up with her knees bent and those fingers of hers became a blur.

"I want your dick to stretch me out, Erik—"

"Oh shit!"

He pounded his fist down to his balls and Kris kept her eyes on his strokes.

"You want me to slap your clit with my dick?"

"Yeah!"

Erik gripped the base of his erection and struck the weight of his dick in his other hand. Kris shut her eyes and he saw her opening throb. Her fingers teased her folds for a bit and she slapped the entire vulva trying to mimic his hand on her.

"Look how wet you are…dripping…"

"You made me wet."

"Cuz I want this dick inside of you. All in your tight little pussy, girl."

She whimpered and her pussy throbbed again.

"Tell me what you want me to do," he said.

Her fingers were crammed against her clit again. He had a feeling she was going to get off sooner than later.

"I want you to fuck me hard—"

"Where?"

Her brow creased and her lips twisted up. Turning her head to the side of the pillow, she shut her eyes tight and rotated her hips on the mattress.

"In your truck…I want you to fuck me in your truck…when you go out to smoke your cigar…"

He could hear her pussy as her fingers slid inside of her slit. He stopped stroking himself and just focused on her pleasure.

"Tell me more," he said.

Her lips curled and her fingers delved deeper. The hood retracted from her clit and the swollen inner lips beckoned him to take her. Kris bucked her hips. She was lost in the fantasy.

"I want you to take me in your truck…I'll sit on your lap while you unzip your jeans…pull out that big dick…stuff it in my pussy raw. You'll fuck me while I face the steering wheel…you'll fuck me so hard that my titties are bouncing all over the wheel…and I make the car horn honk…and you spank my ass for making noise and making people look at us. Some men walk by…and they see you fucking me…fucking me hard…making me cum on that big fat dick…oh fuck! Oh, fuck! I'm cumming on your dick! Erik…!"

He watched her, in a daze, as she shouted his name into a sing-song-like moan and rubbed her clit in a libidinous diagonal stroke. Her details about what she wanted him to do to her in his truck told him that she had played that fantasy in her head before many times and fingered her pussy just as vigorously as she did in front of him but couldn't reach the powerful climax she was having on his bed. When her body stopped shaking, she covered her face with her arm and gulped down air.

"Fuck, baby. You did that shit," he said.

Kris curled into the fetal position and laughed, but before she could let out a final breath, his mouth was devouring her pussy. Her arms reached back and braced herself against the wall as he tossed her legs over his shoulders and ate her out the way she should've been for years. The slick nectar that made her pussy shiny glossed his full lips. His hot tongue dragged up and down her folds before he sucked sublime shapes all across her clit.

His eyes stayed on her face as he slathered her folds with kisses, licks, hungry suckings, and lip-smacking tongue rolls. Being a Que was a blessing for her because he made that skilled mouth muscle work her until she was crying again, shouting his name to the top of the roof and squeezing her thighs around his face.

"Oh! Erik! I can't take anymore baby! I can't! I can't—"

Her thighs lifted his neck and she flooded his mouth with creamy juices that tasted sugary sweet all across his tongue. Grabbing her breasts, Erik squeezed them full of pride that he made her cum again…until his ass cheeks clenched unexpectedly and his balls throbbed forcing cum to shoot out of his slit in hard spurts. Her pussy still jumped on his lips as his semen shot thick hot ropes all over his bed. Those feline eyes of hers gazed down at him and his dick released again.

"Ohhhhh fucckkkkkk!"

Erik's body trembled with aftershocks and he rolled over onto his back. Staring up at the ceiling, he tried to fathom how she was able to make him nut without sucking his dick, stroking his dick, or fucking his dick.

Kris shimmied herself down to his body bypassing the huge mess he made all over the blanket. She rested herself in the crook of his arm and he stared down at her face.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" he gasped.

He had helped her cultivate three orgasms and she had knocked him on his ass with what? Her orgasms?

Kris kissed him but he was still gulping for air. Her hand touched his scalp and he was finally able to calm back down.

"You gifted girl," he sighed.

She kissed him on his forehead and before he could even pull her closer to him to reciprocate the lip-loving, he was knocked out for the rest of the night.


End file.
